Oh, Brother
by PlainJaneIam
Summary: What happens when Samantha takes a trip to meet the Fitzgerald family. Smarty.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Samantha goes to DC with her boyfriend to meet the Fitzgerald family.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing relating to Without a Trace. I am but a fan, sigh.**

**A/N: I know I shouldn't be doing this as I have neglected California Dreamin' which I really need to finish but I just couldn't help but start this. :) It will be a multichapter fic so I hope you're willing to read. Please _Read and Review_. It's very much appreciated. Feel free to provide constructive criticism as well. And so it begins...**

**Chapter 1:**

She stared out the passenger window, barely aware of the historical monuments and federal buildings as they passed. The radio played softly in the background, but that was tuned out as well. She held her boyfriend's hand tightly as it rested on her thigh and attempted to calm herself down. Samantha Spade had never been one to meet the family, but after nearly a year of dating, it was the next logical step in their relationship. At least that's what he kept telling her.

They had met one another at a Bureau function that neither was too thrilled to attend and were introduced by his mother. She, of course, knew the Fitzgerald's from her connections with Victor at work, and he knew them simply as Mom and Dad. Seeing as they were the only people under 50 in attendance, they were more than welcome to have one another's company for the night.

As the night wore on, they sat discussing anything and everything and quickly made plans to get together again the next weekend. One date led to two and so on until she realized they'd officially been a couple for around nine months.

Nearing the half-year mark, he had become a little antsy for her to meet his family, but being the insecure girlfriend she managed to put it off a few months. Three months later, however, he was not to be deterred. Much to her amazement he'd given her an ultimatum: Move to the next step in their relationship or end it. No if's, and's, or but's about it. So instead of the heartbreak of a failed relationship with one of the most amazing men she'd ever been with, she decided to ignore her fears and insecurities and bite the bullet.

But as the car neared his family's home in Washington D.C., she almost wished she hadn't. Almost.

He was a wonderful man: respectful, charming, playful, and absolutely handsome. And she loved him. If she hadn't, she would never have agreed to such a trip. So, there she sat with his hand clutched in her own, terrified of the week to come.

What if his family hated her? Or what if they liked her, but didn't think she was good enough for him? Questions such as those flooded her mind from the time they left New York until they pulled up in front of a three-story mansion that his family called home.

She absentmindely climbed out of the car, grabbed her bags, and walked hand in hand with him up to the front door. _No turning back now._ She thought. He rang the doorbell and moments later the couple came face to face with who she guessed to be his sister. She had long brown hair falling in waves just past her shoulders and bright hazel eyes.

"Hey you two!" She instantly pulled them into a big hug, a smile plastered across her face. "You must be Samantha," She pulled back to look her little brother's girlfriend over, "We've heard so much about you. I'm Rebecca."

"It's nice to meet you." Sam answered, shedding her coat and walking further into the house behind the tall brunette.

"I thought I heard a car outside." Emily Fitzgerald announced meeting the three of them in the living room. "It's so good to see you again, Samantha."

"It's good to see you again, too, Mrs. Fitzgerald." She smiled hugging the small woman somewhat awkwardly. His mother was everything one would expect to see in Victor Fitzgerald's wife: she was a petite woman with sharp features dressed in a crisp, clean, cream-couloured skirt and blouse. Her eyes were a clear, bright blue, almost the color of the ocean.

"Agent Spade." Victor chimed in with a nod in her direction. He was always the professional.

"Deputy Director." She answered, feeling an arm wrap around her waist.

"C'mon I'll show you to your room."He said with a smile, tugging her in the direction of the stairs. Obviously he had seen how uncomfortable she was becoming in the presence of his parents and sister.

Her room was a large guest room on the second floor, between the bathroom and his brother's room. Being from a strong Catholic background, he didn't think it would be a good idea for them to stay in the same room while at his parents and she understood. Honestly she would feel a bit strange sleeping with him in his childhood home.

He helped her get unpacked and situated in the room before sitting with her on the plush queen sized bed. "So, how are you feeling? You aren't about to run away screaming are you?" He asked running his hand over her back soothingly.

"No. I'm ok actually. They all seem really nice." She smiled.

"Well, maybe I should get you to sign a contract of some kind before my brother gets here. He has a way of really... shaking things up." He laughed shaking his head at the thought of his brother's antics.

"Sounds like my kind of guy." She teased before kissing him on the cheek. "Don't worry. I'm sure I'll be fine, and if not ... well, I'll just get you back later."

He kissed her gently and pulled back to look her in the eyes. His brown eyes were fixed on her, reading her for any sign of insecurity. "Ok," He added pushing the hair out of her face. "Let's get back downstairs. I think I just heard the bell for dinner."

"You have a bell for dinner?"

"Hey, it's a big house." He flashed her a crooked grin, pulling her off the bed and down the stairs.

As they neared the bottom of the stairs, Samantha heard another voice join his parents and sister. Laughter erupted between them just as the couple entered the room.

"Brady! I haven't seen you in months, brother, but now I can see why." His brother said teasingly as his gaze caught Samantha's. His beautiful blue eyes sparkled along with the wide smile he wore. "I'm Brady's cooler, smarter, younger, and much more handsome brother, Martin." He added kissing the back of her hand softly.

"I think you forgot modest and soft-spoken." Sam teased, feeling Brady's arm wrap around her waist. "I'm Samantha. You're older, sweeter, and more gorgeous brother's girlfriend."

Even though she was describing her boyfriend, she couldn't help but feel attracted to his brother. His eyes were absolutely captivating. She felt like he could see everything about her: her faults, her insecurities, her fears. Never had she been around anyone who could do that, not even Brady.

Guilt slowly crept over her and she broke the eye contact between them. She rested her head on Brady's shoulder, reminding herself of everything she loved about him. They stayed in the living room until dinner was ready absorbed in conversation. She became much more comfortable around his family by the time dinner rolled around. Well, everyone except Martin.

Like Brady said, he definitely had a way of shaking things up, and she knew it would be in her best interest to steer clear of him for the rest of the week.

She took a seat beside Brady and felt her insides drop as Martin took the seat beside her. His arm brushed hers accidently as he shifted in his seat causing her to shiver slightly, which didn't go unnoticed by Brady. He smiled reassuringly at her, assuming she was still nervous.

For once, she was relieved he couldn't read her mind. She returned his smile and focused on her plate.

"Since you stole my place at the table, I guess I'll sit by you." Martin joked from her left.

"You're place?" She smirked. "I don't see your name written on it."

He flashed her a boyish grin before pointing to the edge of the hardwood table. "Obviously, Sam. You aren't looking in the right place."

She followed his finger and on the edge of the table, in capital letters, was his name.

"You've got to be kidding me." She laughed. "You carved your name into the table?"

"Yes. For instances such as this."

"Martin has always had a thing about marking his territory." Brady explained with a smile. "Must be his need for attention."

"Marty has never had a problem gaining attention." Emily said with a pointed look in her younger son's direction. "Have you, son?"

"Nope. People just can't get enough of me." He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. He winked subtly at the blonde beside him. "Right big brother?" He asked looking at Brady over Samantha's head.

"You're right little brother." He answered with a trace of jealousy in his tone that Martin either didn't catch or chose to ignore.

She cautioned a glance at the blue-eyed brother to read the expression on his face and was surprised to find his eyes locked on her. The corners of his mouth crept up slowly, revealing the dimples on his face. She felt a smile form across her face as she took in every detail of his face.

Rebecca broke their silent staring contest with a story about a neighbor who had apparently decided to join a paranormal society after his alien encounter on a flight from Chicago to DC. Brady was unusually quiet throughout dinner, and she wondered if it had anything to do with her and Martin's interaction earlier. Clearly there were some unresolved issues between he and his brother that he was all too willing to ignore. She rested her hand on his thigh, feeling that he needed to be sure of himself around his younger brother.

"Love you." She whispered softly into his ear, resting her head on his shoulder. Despite whatever feelings she was or wasn't having for Martin, she loved Brady and she was intent on keeping it that way.

"Love you, too." He whispered into her hair.

Martin noticed the interaction between his brother and Samantha and couldn't help but be jealous. She was smart, funny, and stunningly beautiful. He could see how much his brother cared about her and instantly wished it was him that she would be going home with after this week was over. He shook those thoughts away and tore his eyes away from her.

_He's happy._ Martin thought. _He deserves to be happy. _

He watched them out of the corner of his eye. He felt an immediate attraction to this woman and knew she felt it too. But he wouldn't act on it. Not as long as she's in love with Brady at least.

_Easier said than done._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for reading this everyone! I'm glad you like it. Please read and review. :)**

**Chapter 2:**

After dinner they left the kitchen, everyone heading to their respective bedrooms. Brady walked her to her door, stopping her from going inside.

"So?" He paused, his hands resting on her hips. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm good. Everyone is really nice. Your mom has a way of making Victor seem human." She smiled.

He laughed softly before leaning in to capture her lips with his own. He pressed her up against the wall, their kisses growing more passionate and heated by the minute.

Martin stopped in his tracks at the top of the stairs seeing the two of them down the hallway. If he had felt a hint of jealousy before, he must be absolutely green with envy at the moment. He crept back down the stairs, running into Rebecca on the way.

"Woah there, kiddo. What's wrong?" She asked, leading him into the kitchen.

"Nothing, Becks. I'm fine." He answered with as much sincerity as possible.

"Mmhm." She countered skeptically. "I know something's bothering you, Marty. You're never this quiet." She smiled, her hazel eyes fixed intently on him.

He sighed running a hand over the back of his neck. "You'll think I'm horrible."

"I may think you're many things, but horrible has never been one of them. If you don't wanna talk about it that's fine, but I'll listen."

He looked over at his sister silently for several minutes. "It's Samantha."

"What about her?" She asked, having an idea of where this was going. She had seen the way Martin looked at his brother's girlfriend. She just hoped Brady hadn't seen it or it was going to be a long week.

He stayed silent, debating internally whether or not he wanted to admit to his sister, let alone himself, that he was attracted to Samantha. "You know what? I really don't want to do this right now." Martin decided, avoiding the subject altogether and disappearing up the stairs. Brady was long gone, and the door to the guest bedroom was open slightly. Against his better judgement he walked over to the room, peeking his head inside.

Samantha was sitting on the end of the bed, staring absently through the glass balcony doors. She was dressed in a tank top and what he assumed were his brother's boxers. She had her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail and had her legs tucked up underneath her.

Even dressed for bed, she was more beautiful than any woman he'd ever been with or seen for that matter. His eyes wandered down her back, seeing a small area of flesh exposed above the waistband of her shorts. He continued to look her over until her voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Are you gonna come in or just keep staring?" She teased, looking at him over her shoulder.

He was thankful the room was darkened so that she wouldn't be able to see the blush that was inevitably covering his face. "I didn't know if I was invited or not." He smirked stepping into her room.

"Well, this is your house."

"True, but consider this your room. If I have an open invitation, you may not ever get me out of here." He retorted sitting beside her.

"Is that so?" She laughed finally meeting his gaze.

"Yep." He paused, feeling a strong urge to touch her but restraining himself. "So, you and Brady. How's that going?"

"It's fine." She shifted her weight on the bed.

"Just fine?"

"Why the sudden interest in mine and Brady's relationship?" She countered. "From what he's told me, you two haven't even spoken in over a year."

"Oh." He stood from the bed. "Did he tell you why not?"

"No, he didn't. Why don't you tell me?"

"I think you should ask Brady about that." He answered standing and leaning on the wall across from her.

"I've tried. He never wants to talk about it."

Martin let out a dark laugh. "Of course he doesn't."

Samantha came to stand beside him, placing a hand on his forearm gently. "What happened between you two?"

Her hand sent shivers up and down his arm. Her brown eyes locked on his blue ones, urging him to tell her what his brother obviously wouldn't. "You're gonna hate me." He spoke quietly dropping his head to focus on his socks.

"How do you know if you never tell me?"

"Brady was engaged." Samantha looked shocked by the news, apparently Brady had never told her that either. "After the wedding rehearsal, we all came back here for the rehearsal dinner." He paused, working up the nerve to finish the story.

"It's ok, Martin. You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"No, I do. It's just that after I tell you what happened, you'll probably never want to speak to me again. And I don't want that to happen because.. I kinda like you, Sam." He smiled weakly. "I came upstairs to get my best man speech. Erica, Brady's fiance, came into my room to get something." He trailed off, meeting her eyes once more. He had never told this story to anyone yet the first day he met her she had managed to coax it out of him somehow. It was her eyes, he decided. He couldn't get enough of them. They pulled him in. Made him want to tell her the truth, even if it wouldn't end well for him. When he looked close enough he could see a bit of hazel amongst the chocolate brown and he wondered if anyone else had ever noticed. She remained quiet while he simply stared at her, willing himself to continue.

"I don't even remember what it was she wanted." He paused with a sigh. "Before I knew it, she had pushed me back against the wall and started kissing me. I pushed her away, but it was too late. Brady was standing at the top of the stairs. He saw everything."

Still she didn't speak. She just looked at him, searching for something. She wasn't sure what. The truth maybe? For some reason, she believed him and hated that something like that had happened to him.

"Brady wouldn't even let me try to explain myself." He shook his head, dropping it to his chest. "He called the wedding off and left for New York. And today was the first time I've seen him since." Martin explained, unable to meet her eyes. He knew what he'd see. He'd seen it all before.

His mother had nearly disowned him when she found out what happened even though Erica was the one at fault. His sister had somehow managed to get her to forgive him, which he was eternally grateful to her for.

"Hey," She said softly, trying to get his attention. "None of that was your fault Martin."

His head snapped up, looking at her, confusion on his face.

"I know you love your brother. I can tell. You wouldn't do anything to hurt him." She continued.

"Well, that's where you're wrong. I did hurt him and now he'll probably never forgive me." Martin countered with a sigh.

"That's not true." She took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. "He's probably mad at himself and just taking it out on you. You have to try to see things from his point of view Martin. I mean, you've always been the center of attention. And the day before his wedding, when all the focus is on him, he catches you and his fiance kissing." She explained. "How would you feel if things were reversed?"

He flashed her a dimpled grin, dropping the hand he realized he was still holding. "I would've beat the crap out of me." He laughed causing her to laugh as well. "Thanks, Sam."

"No problem."

"Brady's a lucky guy." He added.

"Well, I am a pretty awesome gal." She laughed.

"Not quite as awesome as I am though." He teased.

Laugher erupted from her once more and it was arguably one of the sweetest sounds he'd heard. Her laughter was something he'd never get tired of. Even if she would one day be his sister-in-law, he'd never get enough of it. "Is that so?" She questioned.

"Yes. You may be smarter and better looking than I am, but no where near as awesome as Martin Fitzgerald." He opened up the balcony doors stepping out into the cool night air. "I love it out here. You can actually see the moon and stars."

She followed him outside, leaning against the balcony railing. "It's beautiful."

He felt his eyes drift towards her. "Yeah it is."

Her eyes met his in the darkness, his eyes shining in the moonlight. They stood together on the balcony for awhile in silence. Martin had never been as comfortable around a woman as he was with her. He was never much of a 'relationship' kind of guy. He was more of a casual dater. He would date a woman a few weeks and quickly grow tired of her, moving on to someone else, never getting too close or too involved. But he honestly felt like Samantha was someone he'd never get bored with.

It was just his luck that the one woman he could see himself being with long term was already dating his older brother.

"I should get to bed." He broke their long silence, stepping back into the bedroom. "Night, Sam. Thanks for listening, for understanding. Just don't let Brady know that I told you everything. That would make things even worse." He smiled.

"My lips are sealed. And if you ever need someone to talk to, Martin..."

"I know, thanks." He headed for the door, pausing for a second to give her one last glance. "Night, night."

"Sleep tight." She answered with a smile, slipping underneath the covers as he pulled the door shut behind him.

Almost 1:00 AM. She had been with Martin for nearly an hour and a half. Lying in bed, she couldn't help but wonder why Brady had never mentioned that he was engaged a little over a year ago. She could understand his being upset about his fiance kissing his brother the night before their wedding, but she couldn't see why he wouldn't even talk to Martin about it. All this time, he had been angry with his brother for something that, as far as she could tell, was completely out of Martin's control. Martin clearly looked up to Brady. He would never set out to hurt him, but that's the way Brady saw it. Maybe she could somehow help him see that is was no one but Erica's fault. But Martin didn't want her help, he just wanted her to listen. So that's what she did. Maybe Brady would bring it up himself and she could help them resolve the issue. She wasn't going to get her hopes about that though. They'd been dating for around nine months and he had yet to bring it up. What's to say he would ever mention it to her?

As she drifted off to sleep, her mind was filled with images of Martin and Brady. They were great guys yet so completely different.

And she found herself attracted to both of them.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for all your reviews. I'm so glad you seem to be enjoying this. Keep up the reviews :) Happy reading.**

**Chapter 3:**

The next morning Samantha awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs. It wasn't quite seven yet, and she couldn't imagine Brady being awake so early. He had never been much of an early riser, staying in bed until the absolute last minute possible and sleeping well after ten on the weekends. She stepped out of bed, pulling her hair into a ponytail and making her way downstairs.

She entered the kitchen to find Martin standing over the stove cooking pancakes, eggs, and bacon. He was definitely the early bird of the Fitzgerald family. She stood in the doorway to the kitchen, observing him silently. He had yet to put on a shirt, donning only a pair of black basketball shorts. She couldn't help but let her eyes wander over the well-sculpted muscles of his back. He had a dark tan from spending countless hours outside and shirtless.

He hadn't mentioned what he did for a living, but she could tell from the toned muscles of his back and shoulders that it involved a lot of physical labor. A smile crept onto her face as she watched him bob his head along with the music that was playing softly from a clock radio near the stove.

"Now who's staring?" He asked turning to face her, a crooked grin on his face.

"Touche." She smiled, stepping further into the room. "What are you doing up so early?"

He turned the burners off and filled two plates full of food. "Hungry?" She nodded, sitting on a barstool at the counter. He placed a plate in front of her, taking a seat next to her."Breakfast is served." He paused, eating a bite of his eggs. "To answer your question, I get up at six every morning for a short run, take a quick shower, then cook myself some breakfast. Why are you awake so early?"

"Hazard of the job I suppose. I'm so used to getting up early for work that I can't seem to sleep late no matter how bad I want to." She answered between bites of pancakes.

"What is it you do?"

"I work for the FBI Missing Person's Unit in New York." She saw a quick smile flash across his face as his eyes met hers. "What about you?"

"MPU in D.C." He laughed softly. "It seems we have more in common than I thought."

"So you're the wonder-boy that's bringing the D.C. Unit into the 21st century." She teased.

"I guess you could say that. Our success rate has gone up considerably in the past 2 years, but I don't know if I can take all the credit for that. Our SAC is great."

"I've heard about him through the grapevine. He worked with my boss Jack Malone for awhile." She commented.

He finished off his plate of breakfast and placed the empty dish into the sink. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure Malone taught him everything he knows. Which is a good thing. I hear your unit is one of the most successful in the country."

"I've heard that, too." She smiled, trying to downplay his complements. "So, do you know what the plans are for today?" She asked, dumping her plate in the sink as well.

They walked quietly into the living room where Martin laid down on the couch and Samantha sat in his father's chair. "Nope. I think Brady wants to take you around town, show you the sights, but I'm not real sure."

"Oh."

He couldn't be sure, but he thought he say a trace of disappointment cross her face.

It's not that she didn't want to spend the day with Brady, but she wasn't all that interested in being chauffered around the nation's capitol. She would rather spend time with him alone. They rarely went on dates or did romantic things anymore. They were more like an old married couple than a young couple in love. She missed the early days in their relationship where they would take day trips out of the city together or eat at fancy restaurants downtown. These days they rarely even left the confines of his or her apartment.

"You don't look to excited about that." Martin observed, sitting up on the couch.

She shrugged, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know. I wish we'd do something a little more..."

"Romantic? Spontaneous?" He offered with a smile.

"Yeah." She nodded, looking him over. His blue eyes were captivating. She stared into the blue pools, seeing things she wished she saw in Brady's: desire, passion, adventure. "You up for another run?"

"Always." He smirked.

"Let me go change." She made her way upstairs into her room. She put on a pair of navy blue shorts and a white FBI t-shirt before slipping into her tennis shoes and running downstairs. Martin remained shirtless and had pulled on pair of running shoes as well.

"Ready?" He asked, trying not to stare at her longs legs or the swell of her chest underneath her t-shirt.

"Are you?" She countered, resisting the urge to run her hand over his toned chest and torso.

He smiled widely at her, dimples on full display. He nodded towards the door and led her out of the house. "I usually run down the street and through the park."

"Sounds good." She commented, stretching her legs and breaking into stride beside him.

After running in silence for awhile, Martin came to a stop underneath a small patch of tall oak trees. "I need a break." He said falling into the shaded area beneath the trees. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"I didn't know you were such a lightweight, Marty." She laughed, sitting in the grass beside him.

"Well, Sam, this is my second trip today." He wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand.

"Excuses, excuses."

"You better be glad you're pretty, because I don't let just anyone run with me. Especially when they are constantly teasing me." He said, meeting her gaze. Her cheeks were flushed and a few strands of hair had escaped her ponytail, falling haphazardly around her face. He knew he shouldn't but he lifted his hand, pushing the wayward strands behind her ear. His hand lingered on her neck, his thumb running back and forth over her cheek and jaw.

"Martin," Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. "What are we doing?" She asked, avoiding his eyes.

"Sitting in the park, sweating profusely." He joked, dropping his hand from her face.

She didn't laugh but reluctantly met his gaze. He knew what she meant, but he honestly had no idea what to tell her. "I don't know." He managed to say.

"I love Brady." She stated. He noticed that she wasn't really looking at him as she spoke. She seemed to be trying to convince herself more than him.

"I'm attracted to you, Sam. And I think you're attracted to me, too."

"I am, but nothing's going to happen, Martin. I can't, I won't do that to Brady." She admitted.

He nodded slowly, focusing on the families in the park. "I wouldn't either, but I really wish I'd met you first." He chuckled, catching her eyes with his.

_Me too._ Samantha thought, plucking a handful of grass from the ground. "Maybe in another life." She smiled, hoping to end the conversation.

"Maybe." He replied softly. "We should head back. Everyone will be waking up soon." He pushed himself off the ground. He took her hands in his, pulling her to stand in front of him. He stood silently before her, taking in every detail of her face. "If things don't work out with you and my big brother, give me a call, ok?" He smirked, dropping his hands to his sides.

"I'll think about it."

They arrived back at the house shortly after. The Fitzgerald family was seated in the living room, sipping coffee and talking animatedly.

"There they are." His mother announced with a laugh. "I knew you two couldn't have gone too far."

"Hey, sweetie." Brady said, placing a quick kiss on Samantha's lips. "Did you have a good run?"

"It was great. Martin here had a little trouble keeping up though." She teased.

"Yeah, well, I already ran 4 or 5 miles, so the way I see it, you have yet to catch up." He added with a smirk that was uniquely him.

"Sounds like you're getting along pretty well." Brady commented, a hint of resentment in his tone. A stilted, uncomfortable silence settled on the room. The tension between the brothers was thick enough to cut with a knife and everyone let out a sigh of relief as Martin started to leave the room.

"Well, I'm going to take a shower." Martin stated, feeling the bitterness aimed in his direction.

"I think I will, too." Samantha kissed Brady briefly before retreating up the stairs.

After her shower, like Martin had guessed, Brady took her out to see the attractions around the city. It was interesting to say the least, but far from the romantic setting she hoped for.

The next couple of days featured several more tours of the like, Samantha becoming more disinterested by each one. Also, she had seen less and less of Martin. After their conversation in the park, he steered clear of her. On one hand, she was glad he wasn't interfering in their relationship. On the other hand, she missed seeing him. He had a way of making her smile that Brady never could.

Just the thought of his blue eyes and boyish grin made her smile. Unfortunately, her smile encouraged Brady to prolong his tour of D.C., thinking it made her happy. _How could two brothers be so different?_

Brady was predictable but sweet, in a reserved, rehearsed way.

Martin was spontaneous and very 'seize-the-day' but also kind and funny.

The more time she spent listening to Brady's description of every landmark in town, the more she realized how truly incompatible they were. Of course he was a wonderful man, and any woman would be lucky to have him, but could she honestly see herself spending her life with him? She was beginning to think not. It had taken a few short days around Martin to send her mind into a whirl of uncertainty. The more she thought about her future, the more she realized she wanted someone like Martin to be in it.

She knew what she had to do, but she hated to even think about it.

She was going to break his heart.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This is a pretty long chapter compared to my usual updates. Hope you like it. For those of you reading _California Dreamin_ have no fear, I haven't neglected it, I just haven't had inspiration for it lately. Oh well, please Read and Review**

**Chapter 4:**

"Samantha?" Brady called, knocking softly on her door. "Can I come in?"

She opened the door and he stepped inside. "What's up?"

"I just got a call from one of our investors." He explained quickly. "I'm driving up to Boston for a day or two to get some things straightened out."

She nodded. At least once a week Brady had out of town meetings with investors and such.

"Will you be ok here, or do you want to drive back to New York?" He asked, running a hand through her hair.

"I'll be okay here. Rebecca said something about a shopping day. You know I never have a problem where shopping is involved."

He laughed. "Very true. Well, I'm going to go pack a bag and take off. I'll call you when I get there." He kissed her gently on the lips and stepped into the hallway. "Love you."

"Be careful." She shut the door behind him.

Brady left her room headed for the stairs.

"Hey. Mom said you were leaving for a few days. What's up?" Martin asked, meeting him in the hallway.

"Nothing you'd be interested in, Marty. I'm going to Boston for a few days." Brady answered shortly.

"Why are you being like this?" Martin questioned, silence his only answer. "I have apologized to you over and over again. What more do you want from me?" He asked, anger growing in his voice.

"I want you to stay away from my girlfriend!" Brady shouted, stepping closer to his younger brother. "No one's ever good enough for you, Martin. Is that it? Is that why you constantly go after my girlfriends?"

"Despite popular belief, I could care less about your personal life." Martin paused, attempting to calm himself down. "I never intended to hurt you, Brady, honestly. I don't have some sort of vendetta against you, so you can stop acting like such a martyr. Ok? I don't know why you constantly feel the need to blame your problems on me, but I'm tired of it. If your life sucks, that's your fault. Not mine." He finished, feeling every muscle in his body tense. He had caried guilt about Erica for so long that he had gotten used to Brady blaming him for all his failed relationships. Although after his talk with Sam a few nights before, he realized that he had no fault in what happened and was tired of being treated like the black sheep of the family because of it.

Brady pushed him into the wall, holding him there with one arm, his other hand balled into a fist at his side. The loud thud outside startled Samantha. She opened the door and peered cautiously out into the hallway.

Her heart beat furiously in her chest as she ran from the room to prevent what was obviously about to happen. She grabbed Brady's arm, but not in time to stop his fist from colliding with Martin's face. "Brady, stop! Stop!" She pleaded, trying to free Martin from his brother's grasp.

He reluctantly dropped his arm, watching Martin clutch his face and slide down the wall as blood dripped slowly down his cheek. "What is wrong with you?!" She shouted in Brady's direction, attempting to find where he was bleeding from. "Let me see." She said softly tugging at Martin's hands.

"What's wrong with me?!" Brady shouted, watching her tend to his brother. "He's what's wrong with me. He'll never be happy until he takes everything he can from me!"

"That's about enough, son." Victor announced, standing at the top of the stairs.

Brady turned and stormed off to his room. Not ten minutes later he grabbed his bag and hurried from the house.

"It's not too bad." Martin commented, regaining his vision and wiping blood away with the back of his hand. Admittedly, it was actually nice having Samantha tend to him, but he didn't want Brady furious with both of them.

"Quit touching it." She slapped his hand away. "Let me go get a washcloth." She returned with a damp washcloth and knelt down in front of him, softly dabbing at the gash on his cheek. "Do you want to tell me what happened or am I gonna have to beat it out of you?"

He laughed, wincing as a surge of pain rushed from his cheek. "Nothing happened."

She raised her eyebrows, meeting his gaze. "Yeah right, Martin." She paused. "You didn't even try to defend yourself." She added a minute later. "Why not?"

"I'm a sucker for punishment?" He quipped with a smirk. "I guess I felt like I deserved it after everything with Erica." His eyes dropped from hers, focusing on the carpet between them. "He's been wanting to do that for so long. I just hope he's got it out of his system now."

She stared at him silently. She knew he wasn't telling her everything, but she wasn't pushing. He couldn't have been happier about that. Although nothing had actually happened between them, Brady could see the way he felt about Samantha, and he was far from ready to admit that to her.

He felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. They had only known one another a few days, yet she was being so attentive and caring. It made him like her that much more. Her brown eyes met his slowly.

"What are you smiling at?" She asked, a small smile on her face as well.

"You don't have to do this you know? I'm a big boy."

A light laugh escaped her throat as her hands fell into her lap. "Oh really? Because if I remember correctly, your father just had to stop a fight between you and your brother."

He smirked, a playful glint in his eye. "It was more like a cheapshot than a fight."

"Well, the bleeding stopped, but you're gonna have a pretty nasty cut for a few days." She explained tracing his cheek gently with her thumb.

"Chicks dig scars, right?" He quipped.

For some reason, she felt her cheeks flush and laughed softly at his comment.

"Got any plans for tonight?" He asked, watching her unwrap a band-aid. She placed gently over the cut before replying.

"Not anymore. Why?"

"Because I got tickets to the Nationals game tonight if you want to go. I was gonna take Rebecca, but she's ditching me for a night with the girls."

Sam's eyebrows rose and she laughed playfully. "Are you trying to get me in trouble?"

"Misery loves company." He countered with a knee-weaking smile.

"What time?" She asked after a lengthy silence.

"We leave at six. The game starts at seven."

"Okay. I'll see you in a couple of hours then." She stood and made her way back to her bedroom.

"A couple of hours?" He asked standing and leaning in the doorway.

She pulled some items from her bag. "Yes. Right now I'm going to go take a bath. Then I'm going to get dressed and do my hair and makeup. Is that ok with you?" She smiled.

"Of course. It's already 4:30 though so try not to primp too long." He teased slipping out of her room before she had a chance to reply.

An hour and a half later, Martin sat on the living room sofa, waiting for Samantha to make her appearance. He knew he never should've asked her to the game as it would only make it more difficult for him to be simply friends with her. But he couldn't help himself. He could see how miserable she had been while Brady drove her around the city pointing out all the famous landmarks it had to offer, and all he wanted to do was show her a good time. His brother had never been very interested in sports, but he noticed that Samantha looked through the sports section of the paper each morning. Of course she was a Yankees fan, but that was forgivable; at least she wasn't a Mets fan. To be quite honest, he was just happy she'd agreed to go with him.

"Ready?" Her voice broke him from his thoughts. She stood over him wearing blue jean shorts and a Yankees t-shirt. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders in soft waves and he was sure he'd never seen anyone more beautiful, even dressed for a ballgame. "Martin?"

"You know, you may get us killed wearing that shirt." He finally managed to say before standing. He smiled as she looked him over. He was dressed much like she was in khaki cargo shorts and a Nationals jersey. He had a baseball cap on backwards and Sam couldn't help but smile at the boyish grin on his face. "You're staring." He commented, catching her wandering gaze.

"So are you." She retorted with a laugh.

He placed his hand on the small of her back leading her out of the house. "Let's go."

Even after he had dropped his hand and they had gotten into the car, she could still feel the heat radiating from his touch. She couldn't seem to wipe the smile off her face, and they hadn't even pulled out of the driveway yet.

The ride to the game took much longer than she would've expected because of the many cars on the way to the ballpark. Martin however had anticipated this and they arrived with plenty of time to grab some food and find their seats. They were seated in the third row just down the first base line.

"These are really great seats." Samantha commented, sitting down beside Martin.

"I know some people who know some people." He quipped.

"I'm sure you do."

"And it isn't too difficult to get tickets since the Nationals kind of suck." He whispered into her ear.

"Kind of?" She laughed. "Well obviously you have no problem with that." She laughed, eyeing his jersey and hat.

"True fans follow their team through the good times and the bad." He explained. "How's that hot dog?" He asked, watching her devour it.

"Very good." She mumbled through a mouthfulf of hotdog.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it."

The two teams lined up as the National Anthem was sung and then the game began. The two kept up their steady conversation the entire time.

Before they knew it the seventh inning stretch started, with people singing along to the baseball chants playing over the loud speaker. The camera focused on an Atlanta Braves fan sitting amongst a group of Washington fans as 'All By Myself' played loudly in the background. Samantha laughed loudly seeing the disconcerted look on the man's face plastered on the screens around the field.

"How embarrassing would that be?" He asked leaning towards her.

"I don't know and don't want to find out." She stated trying to focus on anything but the smell of his cologne. "Thanks for bringing me Martin. This has been a lot of fun."

"You're very welcome. I'm just glad you agreed to come." A smile crept onto his face as his blue eyes met her brown ones. They stared at one another silently, smiles on both their faces until the man behind them shook their shoulders. Martin was prepared to give the guy a piece of his mind when the man pointed to the giant screen in center field.

"You guys are on the kiss-cam." He shouted. "C'mon man. Kiss the girl already." He laughed slapping Martin on the back.

He looked back at Samantha, trying to read her thoughts. Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth but he noticed a hint of a smile still playing on her features. He brought a hand up to her cheek, pulling her to him gently. When she didn't refuse, he pressed his lips gently to hers.

Samantha knew she should have stopped him to begin with, but the attraction was too much for her to stand. She didn't know how long their lips actually touched, but it couldn't have been more than a few seconds. He pulled away and hesitantly met her eyes. He looked nervous, scared even, but she felt neither. Seeing the smile on her face, the corners of his mouth crept up slowly as well until he wore a full-dimpled grin. "That was..." He started.

"Yeah." She breathed. She felt herself unbelievably attracted to him now. She could still feel his lips on hers and hoped the feeling would never leave.

"Sam, I wasn't trying to start anything between us or anything." He explained, the smile quickly falling from her face. "Oh God, that came out wrong. I mean... I like you. Really like you actually... I just... I don't want to cause trouble between you and Brady." He stuttered, mentally slapping himself for sounding so stupid. He breathed a sigh of relief as her lips curved into a smile.

"I really like you, too." She admitted, running a hand down his cheek. "As far as Brady is concerned, I don't think things are going to work out between us anyway. We're just too different."

"Sorry." He replied sincerely. "I know it sounds stupid, but I really am sorry that things aren't working between you guys. I hope it isn't because of me."

"No, Marty. Things haven't been great with me and Brady for awhile now."

"I have a feeling that he's not going to see it that way." He sighed brushing the hair out of her eyes.

"Maybe, maybe not." She took his hand in her own. "Let's not talk about it right now, okay?"

"Later." He agreed pressing a soft kiss to the back of her hand.

He wasn't sure what was happening between them but he wasn't about to question it.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This is kind of a short chapter, but I hope you like it anyway. I'm leaving Monday to go out of town for a week so I wanted to give you something to tide you over until I get back. Hope you all like this chapter.. please Read and Review.. love yall**

**Chapter 5:**

"That was so much fun!! I can't believe they won!" Samantha announced smiling as they left the crowded ballpark. She swung their entwined hands playfully between them.

"You don't have to say that with so much excitement. You know, they have won a few games." Martin joked nudging her shoulder.

"I know, but a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning, two outs, full count! It was amazing!"

He smiled watching the excitement flash across her face as she detailed parts of the ballgame. He wasn't sure what was going on between them. He liked her, that much was obvious, and she said she liked him too. But what about Brady? From what he could tell, his brother was very much in love with Samantha, and to an extent, she loved him too. _Where does that leave me?_ Martin thought, focusing on her as she replayed the high points of the game.

He had never felt as content and happy with a woman as he had that night with her. She was unlike any other woman he'd been with which was definitely a good thing. If he wasn't careful, he knew he would fall hard and fast for her.

He felt her tug on his hand as she stopped just outside the entrance. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

He stood silently in front of her for a few moments, keeping one hand in hers and running the other through her hair. "I've had a really great time with you, and I... I was just wondering what exactly is happening here." He admitted. "I don't want Brady to get hurt or myself for that matter." He sighed. "I just don't know what to think." His eyes met hers and he felt instantly calmer.

"I know, me neither." She spoke softly. "What I do know is that whether or not we decide to be ... more than friends, Brady and I are over. I love him, really I do, but being around you has made me realize what I've been missing for so long." She paused looking him over. "I've been around you just a few days and you've made me laugh more than I have the entire nine months that Brady and I have been together. I know it sounds crazy, but I feel like I've known you for years. You just ... get me. You know?" She continued. A smile spread over his face at her words, feeling much the same way. "You make me happy without even trying, just by being you."

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his chest. "For the record I try really hard." He whispered jokingly into her ear.

"Shutup." She laughed slapping him playfully. Her head rested lightly on his chest and her arms circled his waist as she breathed him in. She could feel his heart beat and hear the rhythm of it thumping in his chest. "I take it all back." She teased.

"No take-backs, missy." He smiled, his fingers rubbing soft circles over her lower back. "All jokes aside, I feel the same way about you. You're smart and funny, you're into baseball (which is my first love by the way), and God... you're absolutely gorgeous." He felt her body shake gently as a muffled laugh escaped her throat. "You know... you're the first person who has ever made me feel like the whole thing with Erica wasn't my fault."

"What do you mean?"

"For starters, Brady blamed it all on me, although I can't say I blame him. And then my mother nearly disowned me for breaking Brady's heart. Not to mention the hundred or so people that eventually found out why the wedding was called off." He explained. "But that night when I talked to you, you just understood. You believed me. No questions asked. No one's ever done that."

She leaned back in his arms, catching his eyes with her own. She couldn't understand why his family had been so harsh on him. All she had heard about Martin was that he was selfish and inconsiderate, but she knew almost instantly that that wasn't the case. He was the complete opposite.

"You're a good man, Martin." Sam stated simply.

A wicked grin crossed his face. "Good enough for another kiss?"

"You just can't stop, can you?" She laughed, pulling away and walking towards the car.

"It's part of my charm."

She nodded, looking at him with a smirk. "Mmhm. I bet it is."

"Sammy..." He whined, poking his bottom lip out.

"Don't call me Sammy." She threatened, giving him her best death glare.

"But you call me Marty."

She stopped walking and poked him teasingly in the chest. "Yeah, and you call me Sam. You only get one."

"But everyone calls you Sam." He pouted.

"No, they don't. You're the only person I let call me that." She explained then continued towards the car. He watched her walk a few steps before jogging to catch up. A cheeky grin covered his face as he walked beside her that he was pretty certain wouldn't be gone anytime soon. Something about the fact that he was the only one she allowed to call her Sam made his chest swell with pride.

"So, I never really got a response on the kiss question." He said as they finally got into the car.

"I think the lack of response should tell you something." She teased.

"That you're thinking about it?" Martin joked, seeing a small laugh and a giant eye roll from his companion.

"As badly as I want to, that can't happen again until I'm officially a single woman." She sighed, buckling her seatbelt as he shifted the car into gear. "Think you can wait that long _Marty_?" His nickname rolled of her tongue and he felt his heart rate quicken at the sound.

"Can you?" He countered, pulling the car into traffic.

She raised her eyebrows briefly. "Don't you worry about me. Unlike countless other women, I can resist your charms."

"So you say."

The conversation shifted back to the ballgame for the remainder of the drive home, excluding the kiss of course. Though neither spoke about their short liplock during the game, it was all they could think about. Martin could have sworn he felt a tiny spark when their lips met, setting his insides on fire, and he couldn't wait for another opportunity to kiss her.

After this week, hopefully, she'd be a single, unattached woman, and they could be together. All he had to do now was wait.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry this took so long, but I just got back to town. Hope you like it!! Reviews are very much appreciated...**

**Chapter 6:**

"I had a really great time tonight, Martin." Sam said as the car pulled into the driveway. The two remained in the car talking quietly, trying to prolong the night. "Thanks for taking me."

"You're welcome. I had a good time, too."

"It's a good thing Rebecca couldn't go." She commented with knowing smile and a glint in her eye.

Martin's cheeks flushed at her statement. "Yeah, she was just really busy, you know." He stammered.

"It's funny you say that because when I was talking to her earlier she said her evening was going to be spent playing Scrabble with your mom. She didn't even mention the ballgame to me." She smirked.

"Oh, well, yeah... that's because she uh..." He stuttered, his cheeks becoming a deeper shade of red. "Ok, you win. I lied about that." Martin admitted with a boyish grin. "But... even if I had invited her, she wouldn't have come. She hates baseball."

"You could've just asked me. You didn't need an excuse, you know."

He smiled widely at her as his eyes scoured every inch of her face. "Well, now I know." Moonlight poured through the windows of the car, casting a glow over her features. He wanted to reach out and touch her, run his fingers through her hair. But he knew he couldn't, not while she was still dating his brother. He settled for taking her hand in his and resting them on the armrest between them. His thumb rubbed soft circles over the back of her hand.

The two of them were overcome by a comfortable silence and they remained seated with their fingers intertwined for nearly a half hour.

"We should get to bed." Martin said, breaking the long silence between them.

She groaned, exhaling softly and settling further into the seat.

He didn't hear her reply and assumed she had fallen asleep. He slipped out of the car, walking to her side. He pulled her door open and lifted her easily out of the car, nudged the door closed, and carried her into the house.

Her arms wrapped loosely around his neck as her head rested lightly on his shoulder. It felt strangely normal to have her in his arms. A light was on in the kitchen, and upon shutting the door, Rebecca emerged wiping sleep from her eyes. "Where have you been?" She asked, noticing for the first time that he was holding a sleeping Samantha. "What'd you do to her?"

"Shh.." He whispered, trying not to wake the woman in his arms. "I'll talk to you in a minute."

He continued through the living room and up the stairs to her room. He laid her gently on the bed, slipping off her shoes and draping a blanket over her. She was fast asleep, her soft snoring filled the quiet room. The corner of his lips pulled up ever so slightly as he watched her sleep. Thoughts of her filled his mind, and guilt began to settle in the pit of his stomach. She was truly an amazing woman and he wanted nothing more than to be the man she came home to, but his brother was in love with her. He couldn't bare the thought of what was in store for Brady. Samantha had already said she intended to break up with him, but what then?

Were they just supposed to ride off in the sunset together while his brother's heart was shattered into a million pieces? He was so conflicted, but the longer he stared at her, the more he realized how much he wanted a relationship with her. He sat down on the edge of her bed, close to but not touching her.

A small smile was on her face as she slept. He felt himself become more and more comfortable with each breath she took. No matter what happened, he knew had to at least try something with her. He would never forgive himself if he let her go without a fight. And being with her would undoubtedly be a fight.

"Martin?" She said, her eyes blinking open slowly. Slowly she met his clear blue eyes in the dim light of the room. "Don't worry so much, ok?"

"I'll try." His hand ran up her arm slowly, causing every hair in its path to stand on end. "Promise me something?"

She nodded, urging him to go on.

"If you break up with Brady, don't do it because of me. I know he's been less than loving toward me lately, but he's my brother, and I care about him." His fingers traced the contours of her face and brushed her hair behind her ear. "I just, I don't want to be the reason that his heart gets broken all over again." He explained.

She pushed herself up on the bed, so that she was at eye level with him. "Hey, look at me." She spoke softly, trying to catch his wandering gaze. "Brady's a great guy, but he's not the guy for me. To be quite honest, I didn't even want to come here. I never saw our relationship as something long term. I wanted him to be the one. I really did. But the more I'm around you, the more I see that he's not it. I know that sounds like I'm saying it's all your fault, but that's not it at all. You've just helped me realize what I knew all along, Brady and I aren't meant to be together."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Now, can we save future in-depth conversations like this for the morning?" She smiled.

"You got it." He smiled pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Get some sleep. I'll talk to you in the morning."

"Ok." She yawned.

"You up for a run tomorrow morning?"

"I'll meet you out front."

"Night, Sam." He said, standing from the bed.

She took his hand in her own and kissed the back of it gently. "Sweet dreams, Martin." She dropped his hand and nestled down into the sheets.

He left her room and was met with the unwavering stare of his older sister. "You're stepping into dangerous territory." She told him as soon as the door was shut.

"Nothing's going on, Becks." He sighed, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"I'm female, not stupid. I can tell you like her, and even though I haven't known her very long, I think she likes you too." She took a step closer, staring analytically at him. "Just be careful, Marty." She added before turning and going down the stairs.

--

The next morning, as planned, Samantha met Martin outside, each donning their running gear.

"NYU?" Sam asked, pointing to his white t-shirt with the school's initials in purple. "I figured you were more of a Harvard or Yale type guy."

"Is that so?" He laughed, his eyes drifting over her.

"No, not really. But since Brady and Rebecca both went to Ivy league schools I just assumed you did too."

"Well, you know what they say about people who assume." He teased. "Actually, my dad wanted me to follow in their footsteps, live the American dream. I don't know if you know it or not but I, Martin J. Fitzgerald, was born to be a senator."

"Ah, I see. How did you get into the FBI then?"

They began jogging down the street, keeping up the conversation. "I've always wanted to be in the FBI. And, as you know, I've always been the rebellious child, so that's what I did. I went to NYU and majored in Political Science, graduated with highest honors, and then applied to Quantico. The rest is history." He explained. "I think Dad is still upset that I didn't go into politics or decide to be a doctor like Rebecca or a big-shot businessman like Brady. But, it's ok. My mommy still loves me."

"I've noticed." She laughed. Her blood was pumping furiously, keeping up with the fast pace Martin had set. "So, do you and Rebecca still live at home, or is it some special occasion that you're both staying in your parents' home."

He laughed loudly, wiping the sweat from his face with his shirt sleeve. "No we don't live at home, but Mom wanted us to stay over for the week. This is the first time we've all been together since... well, it's been a really long time, and she wanted it to be a big deal since you were coming down."

"Oh. That makes me feel a lot better. For awhile there I thought you and your sister still lived at home." She laughed. She stopped a few blocks later, sitting down on a shaded park bench, Martin following closely behind. "You kicked it up a notch today." She wiped her face with the hem of her shirt, attempting to catch her breath.

"Having trouble keeping up, Agent Spade?" A wicked grin crossed his face as he dodged a few playful punches from Samantha. "Ok, ok. I'm sorry." He apologized through his laughter.

"I could use a giant glass of ice water right now." She commented, stopping her assault on Martin.

"For what? Wet t-shirt contest? Because I would totally win." He joked, earning him another slap on the shoulder. "So, do you know when Brady's coming back?"

Samantha shrugged her shoulders before letting her head rest on his shoulder. "He left me a voicemail last night saying that he'd probably be in after lunch today."

"Oh."

Several minutes passed between them. Samantha's mind was filled with scenarios of how the afternoon would go. Would Brady have something romantic planned for them? Probably not. Would he know that she kissed Martin? She hadn't even thought about that before. Although Brady rarely watched sports on television, someone else may have seen the kiss and told him. Was the game even on TV? If it was, would it show what went on between innings? She wasn't sure, and suddenly was very apprehensive about seeing her boyfriend.

Martin could sense her change in attitude and rested a hand lightly on her knee. He didn't know for sure what was running through her mind, but the expression on her face was enough to make him wary. Was she having second thoughts about breaking up with Brady? He hoped not.

"You ready to head back?" He asked moments later, forcing the negative thoughts from his mind.

"You go ahead. I think I'll meet you at the house."

"I'll hang back with you, if that's ok."

"Yeah, sure." She stood from the bench, pulling Martin up by the hand. "Buy me an ice cream?" She smiled, nodding her head in the direction of an ice cream parlor across the street.

He grinned and followed her across the street into the shop.

"What can I get for you?" A teenage boy behind the counter asked, wiping his hands on the striped apron he wore.

"I'll have two scoops of vanilla in a cone." Martin answered.

"I want two scoops of coffee ice cream in a waffle cone." Samantha said, peering over the counter.

"Coffee ice cream?" He turned up his nose. "That doesn't sound very good."

"Are you kidding? It's the best! I love it!" She responded, taking her treat from the boy's outstretched hand. "You wanna taste it?"

He shook his head. "I think I'll stick with my vanilla."

They paid the boy before exiting the shop and walking towards home. "Don't knock it till you try it." She mumbled through a mouthful of ice cream. "So good."

"Mine too."

"Well, it's hard to mess up vanilla." Ice cream dripped from the cone and down her hand and arm. Martin watched as she licked away the sticky trail, absolutely mesmerized. Her innocent actions set his insides on fire. He jerked his head away quickly, focusing on anything but her. "Are you ok, Marty?" She had moved to stand in front of him, attempting to regain his attention.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine." His voice came out slightly ragged as his cheeks flushed. He flashed her a reassuring smile as they continuted to walk through the neighborhood.

"Is that Brady's car?" Samantha asked, primarily to herself, as they neared the Fitzgerald residence.

"Looks like it."

Martin couldn't help feeling disappointed that his older brother had returned. Back to avoiding Samantha. It's not that he wanted to avoid her, but being around her and Brady was near torture. Hopefully, the torture would be over soon and he would have her all to himself.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: You guys should love me soooo much right now because I've already got another chapter ready!! So I'm expecting REVIEWS people!! :) Although they aren't required, they are appreciated, so thanks to all of you that do review. Hope ya'll like this chapter. On with the update.**

Chapter 7:

Much to Samantha's disbelief and Martin's dismay, Brady had in fact planned a quiet, romantic dinner for the two of them later that evening. Apparently he had something big to discuss with Sam that couldn't wait any longer.

Martin remained in his childhood room for most of the day, not wanting to chance another run-in with his older brother or catch them during an intimate moment. Rebecca had informed him of the romantic evening Brady had planned and quite honestly, he felt nauseated just listening to her rattle off details of a candlelit dinner in the moonlight and a latenight stroll through downtown D.C.

On one of few limited trips beyond his bedroom door, he caught a glimpse of Samantha getting dressed for her night out. She was absolutely gorgeous in a strapless white dress and her hair falling in soft waves. Whatever it was that he had left his room for was long forgotten. He stood in the doorway of her room, watching her put the final touches on her makeup. He didn't know why she even put it on. He thought she was beautiful in running clothes and hair in a ponytail.

"How do I look?" She spun around, striking a pose.

It took a moment longer than usual for him to find his voice, but the expression on his face was all the answer she needed. "Sam, you look... amazing."

She felt an involuntary shiver run up her spine as his blue eyes crept over every inch of her appreciatively. "Thanks." She breathed with a small smile.

Their eyes focused on one another, saying all the things they couldn't begin to say aloud. Her eyes sparkled brightly as she stepped closer to him. She brushed his hand discreetly with her own before whispering, "Don't worry, okay? My mind's made up. Nothing that happens tonight is going to change that." She backed away before continuing. "I like that shirt, by the way. It really brings out your eyes."

"Thanks." He smiled, looking down at the light blue oxford shirt he wore. "I'll see you when you get back."

He left the room, glancing at her once more before returning to his room. He shut the door, turned on the radio slightly louder than necessary, and laid face down on the bed.

--

Brady knocked on Samantha's door nearly an hour later.

"Sorry I'm late. Had to do some last minute touchups." He explained with a smile that reminded her of Martin. She shook thoughts of the blue eyed brother from her mind and forced a small smile onto her face.

"It's ok. Rebecca kept me company."

"You ready?" She nodded. "Ok. Let's go." He said taking her hand in his.

He led her outside the house down a lighted pathway to one of the house's many gardens. In the center of the garden was a small gazebo where he had set up a table for two. Candles lined every surface in the garden and rose petals were scattered over the cobblestone walkway and gazebo floor. An elaborate dinner was set out on the table as well as a bottle of wine.

"When did you do all of this?" She asked, amazed by all the work he had obviously put into making this night with her special.

"Some of it I did while you were running with Martin, and the rest I did while you were in the shower. I dragged Martin and Rebecca out to help me too." His smile grew at the apparent shock on her face. "Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful." She assured him. "But why go to all this trouble?"

He sighed, helping her into her seat before sitting as well. "I know I haven't exactly been a hundred percent commited to this relationship recently and I just wanted to show you how much I love you." He answered, leaning in to kiss her softly.

She pulled away seconds later just as he attempted to deepen the kiss. "Brady, I..."

"Wait, there's something else." He interrupted.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she nodded for him to continue. Brady had always been a sweet, affectionate guy, but this was unusual. Something about the way he was acting disturbed her and left her feeling very nervous.

He slipped out of his chair and knelt down in front of her, pulling a small velvet box from his pocket.

If she thought her heart was pounding earlier, then it was going absolutely crazy now. Her breathing became more labored and she was sure her face had paled. This couldn't be! Lately he had become more and more distant and now all of a sudden he was proposing! She had to be mistaken.

Ironically she had spent the majority of the day rehearsing how to break up with him while he was planning a proposal! She couldn't believe it. It sounded like something straight out of a TV drama.

"Samantha Spade, will you marry me?"

Silence.

She couldn't force herself to respond. One word would either make him the happiest man alive or utterly crush him. As the minutes ticked by his face fell further and further until he looked to be on the verge of tears.

"Please Samantha. Say something, anything." He pleaded.

She bit her lip nervously, willing herself to give him some sort of answer. "This is just so unexpected."

"I know, but these past few months with you have been some of the best in my life. I love you so much, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." His brown eyes fell from her face to the small box in his hand. He slid the diamond ring from the box, holding it out towards her. "Marry me."

A tear spilled from the corner of her eye. "I'm so sorry, Brady. I can't."

The love and happiness in his eyes disappeared all in that moment, replaced by sadness and confusion.

"Why?" He managed to say after a long, stilted silence.

"I... I don't know."

"If you're going to break my heart, the least you could do is tell me why." He returned the ring to the box but remained kneeling in front of her.

She pushed her long blonde hair behind her ear, taking a moment to think of how to respond. "Being here these last few days has made me see all the flaws in our relationship. We've drifted apart lately and I just don't feel like we're meant to be together."

He inhaled sharply rising from his position on the floor. "And what might I ask brought on this sudden realization?" His words were short and full of pain as he towered over her.

An image of Martin flashed into her mind, her stomach fluttering involuntarily. Her silence only caused him to become more stoic. His anger was boiling to the surface as he stared at her faraway look.

"Is there someone else?" He asked, his lips pursed tightly together.

"No, Brady. Of course not." She answered quickly. Not entirely a lie. She had kissed Martin, but it wasn't like they were sneaking off in the middle of the night or anything.

He observed her silently, gauging her answer, searching for the truth in her eyes.

"I never meant to hurt you." She admitted standing to meet his gaze, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I know, but you did." He replied just as softly before turning and walking head down back towards the house.

She remained standing on the gazebo, watching him walk away dejectedly, not looking back once. Another tear slid from her eye and rolled down her cheek. She hated the fact that she had hurt him. He was a great guy, one of the best. He just wasn't _the man_ for her. She heard someone walk up behind her but didn't move to see who it was.

She already knew.

"How are you?" His soft voice was filled with concern.

She turned to see his face in the darkness. "Not good." She answered honestly.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" She smiled through her tears. "You haven't done anything wrong."

"I'm sorry that you have to go through something like this. It's a difficult thing."

He stretched his hand out towards her, wanting to comfort her any way he could. She took his hand and let him pull her in, wrapping his arms tightly around her. His hands moved soothingly over her back and through her hair, calming her down. She rested her head in the crook of his neck, feeling her tears slowly subside.

"C'mon." He said softly, leading her further away from the house.

"Where are we going?" She asked tugging on his hand.

"You'll see." He replied with a playful grin, eliciting a small smile from her.

They walked together to a small pond and sat side by side on the wooden pier.

"This is nice." Samantha commented as Martin's arm slid around her waist.

"Yeah it is. This was my escape as a kid. Whenever I needed to get away from the house, this is where I would come. It's so peaceful, and Becks and Brady hated walking all the way out here, so I never had to worry about anyone else coming around."

"I wish I had some place like that. When I was a kid, we lived in a trailor park, so the furthest I could get away from my mom and sister was the neighbor's swingset."

"I didn't know you had a sister."

"Yep. Emily. We don't really speak anymore. Long story." She stated, hoping to end the conversation.

"That's too bad. You ready to head back?"

"Can we stay a little bit longer?"

"Of course." He answered, feeling her head fall lightly onto his shoulder.

"Do you think he'll ever be able to forgive me? Or look at me for that matter." She asked, staring out over the dark water.

Martin's fingers drifted over her arm slowly, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind. "He will. It'll just take some time." He pressed a gentle kiss into her hair.

"Where do we go from here?"

"Honestly, Sam, I don't know. I want to be with you. I know that much, but if you need some time alone, I can wait."

"I want to be with you too, but I am going to need some time. I mean, I just broke up with Brady an hour ago." She rested her hand on his thigh. "What are we going to do when I go back to New York?"

"Well, nothing is certain yet, but I may be transferring to New York." He smiled. "We could be partners."

"Really? When did this happen?" She asked, lifting her head to meet his gaze. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I wasn't sure if it was gonna happen. Agent Van Doren contacted me a couple of weeks ago. Apparently they want to add another member to the Missing Persons Unit because of the insane number of cases you all work a week. She thinks another member will take off some of the strain. She called again this afternoon to tell me that I have a job waiting for me if I want it. You think you can handle seeing me everyday?"

A smile was plastered on his face as he spoke and Samantha felt a smile mirroring his settle over her features. Not only were they potentially going to start a relationship, but she would get to see him daily at work. She felt her sadness and guilt begin to dissipate as she focused on Martin. His blue eyes shined in the darkness, full of anticipation and excitement for the future.

She leaned in hesitantly, brushing her lips over his. "I think I can deal with that." She grinned.

She didn't have to think about it. She was more than thrilled at the prospect of Martin moving to New York, and she could see that he felt much the same way.

"We should head back. It's getting late." He yawned.

"Yeah, okay." She agreed letting him pull her into a standing position and leading her back to the house.

Although she was upset about everything that had transpired with Brady, she couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She kissed Martin once more at the top of the stairs before disappearing into their separate rooms. She fell asleep quickly, consumed by dreams of the blue eyed man down the hall.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Ok, so this took forever for me to finish so I hope it's satisfactory. It isn't my favorite but I hope you like it anyway. **Please REVIEW**. It lets me know people are actually reading this and enjoying it.

**Chapter 8:**

The next morning, Samantha crept down the stairs and into the kitchen, thankful to find it empty. After grabbing a quick breakfast, she rushed back to her room, packing up her things. She made up the bed and cleaned the adjoined bathroom then grabbed her bag and exited the room. Brady had taken the car last night and had yet to return.

For a moment, she contemplated asking Martin for a ride back to New York but knew it would cause more trouble than it was worth. Obviously, the rest of the family had heard the news and chose to avoid any confrontation with her. She sat on the couch, pulling a phonebook into her lap just as Martin stepped through the front door. So much for leaving unnoticed.

"Hey, Sam." He smiled, wiping his face with a towel. The sweat on his skin, glistened in the light streaming through the open curtains. Just like every other day, he'd gone out for his morning run, losing his t-shirt somewhere along the way. He stepped further into the room, noticing for the first time, her bag at the end of the couch. "You're leaving?"

"I think I should." She answered flipping through the phonebook to find the number of a cab company.

"Need a ride?"

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

He sat on the coffee table across from her, continuing to wipe away the moisture from his skin. "Why is that?" He asked, pulling her attention from the yellow pages.

A soft sigh escaped her lips. "Because, I have a feeling you're family is aware that I turned down Brady's proposal. And I don't want it getting back to him that something is going on between us so soon after the breakup. It wouldn't be fair to him."

"And he'd probably kill me." Martin smiled, earning a small laugh from her.

"Probably."

"Or..." He countered after a few minutes of silence. "No one will think anything's going on. They'll all just think I'm being my normal, chivalrous, kindhearted, and gracious self by giving you a ride home."

Samantha rolled her eyes, trying to hide the smile forming on her lips. "Of course that's what they'll think."

"C'mon Sam. I'd be an awful human being if I let you ride the train all the way back to New York City." He pleaded. "Let me drive you back. Please."

"Okay, okay. Fine." She finally agreed. "How'd you know I was taking the train?"

"I'm a federally trained, top-notch investigator. How could you ask such a question?" He joked before explaining. "I heard you on the phone in the kitchen this morning."

She nodded with a wicked grin on her face. "So you were eavesdropping?"

"No, not eavesdropping. I know that last night was rough on you, so I wanted to make sure that you were ok and not crying your eyes out into your cereal bowl or anything like that."

"Mmhm. I think you better go shower and get dressed before you get yourself in trouble." She laughed at the blush rising to his cheeks.

He flashed her the boyish grin that she couldn't seem to get enough of, complete with dimples and small laugh lines around his eyes. He slipped his hand into hers, holding it gently between their nearly-touching knees. She felt like a giddy teenager, butterflies erupting in her stomach as his thumb ran circles over her knuckles. Her eyes drifted over his face before focusing on the well-defined muscles of his arms and chest.

"Ahem." His voice was a bit louder than necessary, pulling her gaze away from his chest. "Eyes up here, darlin'." He joked, pointing to his face.

"Shutup." Her voice squeaked. "Go upstairs and get ready. I want to get home sometime this week."

"Yes, ma'am." He pressed a quick kiss to the back of her hand before running upstairs.

--

Martin hurried into the living room thirty minutes later, grabbed her suitcase, and led her to the car. He tossed the bag into the backseat before getting into the car and buckling his seatbelt. He gave her a quick smile and shifted the car into gear.

"So it takes what, three hours to drive from DC to New York?" Martin asked pulling out of the driveway.

"More like four if you plan on driving the speed limit."

"Who drives the speed limit?"

"Brady."

He smiled. "Very true. I'm pretty sure my whole family does, actually."

The ride passed more quickly than either would've thought possible and before they knew it, they were stopped in front of Samantha's apartment. Martin parked the car, grabbed the bag from the backseat, and followed her up the steps into her building. Three flights of stairs later he stopped at apartment 3D. Sam unlocked the door, dropping her keys on a table near the door and led him into the living area.

"So, this is where you live." The walls were a pale blue with four black and white photos on the wall opposite the television.

"Yep, this is where I live." She stated, coming to stand beside him. "You can drop that bag wherever. I'm hungry. You want to grab a bite to eat?"

"Lead the way."

"What are you in the mood for?" Samantha asked stepping out of the apartment, Martin close behind.

"Whatever you want. I'm fine with anything."

They walked a few blocks down before coming to a small Chinese restaurant. Samantha pulled open the door, cold air instantly hitting them. A short Asian man walked them to a small booth near the back.

Martin's phone rang before either had a chance to speak. "Fitzgerald." He answered. "I'm in New York. Sam needed a ride home, so I offered." Pause. "Oh, okay. That's great. Thanks, Dad. I'll talk to you later." He shut the phone, a wide smile spreading across his face.

"What are you smiling about?"

"That was my dad. Van Doren called today and told him that I got the job. They want me to move up here as soon as I can." He grinned. "Looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of each other."

"That's great Martin."Sam smiled. "When are you planning on moving?"

"Well, first I need to find an apartment, but Brady said I could stay with him if I got the job. So, I guess I'll ask him to help me move one day this weekend. I can start work on Monday."

Samantha couldn't help but be excited about Martin moving to New York so quickly. She loved spending time with him, and now that they'd be working together, she'd get to see him even more. Since he was going to be living with Brady, work would probably be the only time she saw him for a while or at least until he got his own place.

"You think you can stand seeing me everyday?" He asked flashing her a crooked grin.

"I guess we'll see." She smiled flipping open the menu.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. Please Review. :)**

**Chapter 9:**

Samantha spent the rest of the week and the weekend alone, doing laundry, cleaning the apartment, anything to keep her mind off of the days in D.C. Before the trip she never would've thought things would end so suddenly between her and Brady. They had had a nice, comfortable relationship for nine months. Quite honestly, that was far longer than any of her other relationships.

All it took was a few days with Brady's blue-eyed brother for it to come crashing down.

An image of Martin flashed into her mind, a slow smile forming on her lips. Where could she even begin to describe her relationship with the younger Fitzgerald? There was a definite attraction, but she was hesitant to start anything with him so soon after turning down Brady's proposal.

They hadn't seen each other again since he'd driven her home. After dinner he drove back to Washington to pack his things. He and Brady packed up his belongings, putting what they could in their vehicles and leaving the rest in storage at his parent's house. Martin hadn't yet found an apartment so he moved in with Brady. He lived in a penthouse in Manhattan with more than enough room for the two of them to share.

Sunday night, Elena invited her out for some 'drinks, fun, and boys', so that's what they did. The went out to one of the local hotspots for a few drinks, and after awhile everything was fun. More than one man in the bar had noticed that apparently and were rushing to their table in droves. A year ago she would've been more than happy to spread her attention between them, but being with Brady helped her realize just how much she liked being in an adult relationship.

She liked going out to dinner with someone who was focused solely on her, someone who wasn't looking for the next target while he was with her. She'd never admit it to anyone, but she liked be taken care of, being loved.

As Elena fielded the barrage of advances from Joe-somebody's, Samantha focused on the empty glass in front of her. She'd learned long ago that the best route was to avoid eye contact. Looking a man in the eye was apparently guy-code for 'please come flirt with me', so she found it easiest to simply ignore them.

A few minutes later she felt another person slip into the seat beside her but kept her eyes locked on her martini glass.

"Come here often?" The voice asked and she instantly recognized it as Martin's. The corners of her mouth crept up at the soft sound.

"Often enough." She answered, not bothering to meet his eyes. "How about yourself?"

"I actually just moved here this week for work."

"No kidding. Where from?"

"D.C."

"I hear it's nice this time of year."

"You heard right. It's great this time of year." He leaned in closer, lowering his voice a bit. "Are we gonna keep this up all night?"

She shrugged her shoulders, trying desperately not to give in just yet. His breath was warm against her neck and she could feel goosebumps rushing down her spine. She continued to avoid his eyes, choosing instead to run a finger slowly around the rim of her glass.

"Are you trying to torture me or does it just come naturally?" He asked, absolutely mesmerized by her slow, steady movements.

"Torture you, Martin? I've done nothing of the sort."

"So you are trying." He quipped.

Finally, she turned to face him, sending him a playful glare. "I'm not trying. I'm succeeding."

His cheeks flashed a deep shade of red as he let out an embarrassed laugh. "That you are."

They sat quietly for awhile, attempting to quell the nervousness settling in the pits of their stomachs. For the first time since Martin arrived, Sam noticed Elena's unwavering stare and the small smirk on her lips. She had no doubt witnessed the entire exchange between them and Sam was less than thrilled about that. Monday at work would be very interesting.

"Martin, I didn't think to introduce you to my friend. This is Elena Delgado. We work together." She stammered. "Elena, this is Martin Fitzgerald."

"Nice to meet you." Martin smiled, shaking her outstretched hand.

"Likewise." Elena paused, observing the closeness between her colleague and this man. "So, are you related to Brady?"

Samantha delivered a swift kick to her shin underneath the table, along with a pointed glare. She had told Elena all about her trip and Brady's proposal, but she had conveniently left the parts about Martin out. She didn't need her friend judging her actions.

"You could say that." He smiled. "Brady is my older brother."

"Martin is the new agent that's joining our team." Sam stated, shifting the conversation away from her ex-boyfriend.

"Oh yeah?" Elena commented, noting Sam's none too subtle diversion. There was more to this little meeting than her friend was letting on and she fully intended to figure it out. "You're transferring from Washington right?"

Martin nodded.

"Interesting."

"Ok, well, I think I'm gonna head out." Samantha said, standing from her seat.

"I'll give you a ride." Martin stood as well. "It was nice meeting you, Elena. I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow." She answered, watching the couple leave the crowded bar. Granted, people were crowded around them, but she could've sworn that she saw Samantha's hand slip into Martin's as they exited the building. She hated to think that Martin had anything to do with Sam and Brady's break-up, but from what she could tell, they were definitely more than friendly with one another.

She followed him outside, looking up and down the street for the familiar silver Impala.

"Ok, I didn't actually drive here, but I couldn't just let you escape without me." He smiled, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

Samantha rolled her eyes, feeling a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. It didn't matter what was happening, he could always find a way to make her smile, and she couldn't get enough of it. "I see that."

They walked hand-in-hand a few blocks, enjoying the quiet time together.

"I've missed you." Martin admitted, releasing her hand and wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"I've missed you, too." She rested her head on his shoulder as her arm worked its way around his waist. "How is it living with Brady?"

"Well, he's a neurotic neat-freak, and let's just say I'm not as tidy as he is, so it's going as well as could be expected. Although, we don't see too much of each other since he works practically 24/7."

"That's probably a good thing. I have a feeling you two would kill each other if you spent too much time together."

"I think you're right."

"Oh, I know I'm right." She laughed.

They walked another block before drifting into the park near a small playground. A small swingset was positioned off to one side and a small smile spread across her features.

"C'mon." Martin ordered, pulling her in the direction of the swings. She eased herself onto the plastic seat while he situated himself infront of her. He grabbed the metal chains on either side of her, pulling the swing towards himself before releasing it.

"Are you excited about work tomorrow?" She asked, gliding forward.

"Very. I can't wait." He answered with a dimpled grin. "Is everyone on your team like Elena?"

A small laugh escaped her throat. "Not everyone. Elena and Danny are both pretty fiery. I think it must have something to do with their Latin backgrounds. Vivian is very caring and helpful. She gets along with nearly everyone. I think you'll really like her. And Jack is... well, there's no way to really describe him. It may be difficult to get along with some of them to start with, but they'll grow on you. You should be happy you already have me as an ally."

"I'm very happy about that." He smiled. "It's getting pretty late. You ready to head home?"

"Yeah. We should get going. Need to make sure you get enough sleep before your big day."

They left the park and Martin hailed a cab for Sam, ushering her inside before hailing another for himself. He walked into the apartment, surprised to find Brady sitting on the couch watching TV empty beer bottles collected on the coffee table.

"Hey, little brother." He slurred. "Where ya been?"

"I went out for awhile, needed some fresh air. Brady, how much have you had to drink?"

"I miss her." He admitted, running his hand over a picture of he and Samantha. "We were happy. She made me happy."

"I know." Martin said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I can't believe it's over."

"C'mon. Let's get you to bed."

Brady nodded as Martin lifted him from the couch. He stumbled down the hallway with Martin's help and into his bedroom. He fell back onto the bed with a dull thud. "Hey, Marty, look after her for me, ok?"

"I will."

"Promise me, little brother." He said grabbing Martin's hand.

"I promise." Martin stated, squeezing his brother's hand. "Get some sleep. We'll talk later."

Martin turned off the light and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Seeing his brother in that shape was nearly unbearable. As much as he liked Sam, he knew he had to wait until his brother was well and over her before pursuing a relationship with her. Being just friends with her was going to be absolute torment.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

"Does this shirt make me look fat?" Samantha asked her reflection, looking herself over in the mirror. "Yes." She answered, pulling the navy sweater over her head, tossing it onto the floor. She shoved hangers from one side of the closet to the other, trying to find something suitable to wear.

She had never been the type of woman to spend hours getting ready, but today she couldn't seem to decide on an outfit she liked. In the back of her mind she knew she wanted to look nice because of Martin, but there was no way she'd ever admit it to herself. She finally settled on a black oxford and pale grey skirt. "This will have to do." She spoke aloud, putting the finishing touches to her makeup.

She left her apartment looking like an absolute disaster area with clothes strewn from one end to the other and rushed outside to hail a taxi. She was already ten minutes late and knew traffic would be terrible on the way in to work. By the time she reached the FBI building she was fourty-five minutes late. She jumped in the elevator, riding it up to the MPU offices. The doors opened at her floor, and she nearly ran into the bullpen.

Everyone was situated around the conference table with one more person than usual in the group. "Nice of you to join us." Jack quipped as she slipped into the only empty seat.

"Sorry, there was a wreck on the freeway. Traffic's a nightmare." She lied. If Jack knew she was late because she couldn't decided on what to wear, she'd never hear the end of it. "Do we have a case?"

"Not yet, but we do have a new member joining the team today. This is Martin Fitzgerald."

"I'm pretty sure they already know each other." Elena informed the group, ignoring the death glare Sam sent her way.

Danny noticed the none too subtle glare on Sam's face and Elena's playful tone as he surveyed the group. "Is that so?"

Martin remained silent, not quite sure how to act around Samantha. She obviously wasn't happy at the moment, and he couldn't figure out why. Was she having second thoughts about them? Was she ashamed about the whole situation with Brady? He slowly met her gaze and noticed her face softening dramatically as their eyes locked. She flashed him a small smile from across the table before focusing on Danny.

"Yes we do know each other, and it's none of your business, so don't even ask." She answered with a smirk.

"Ma'am, yes ma'am." Danny said, giving a mock salute.

"Cut it out you two." Jack ordered dryly. "Like I said, we haven't had any cases come in yet, so take the day to finish up any old paperwork or reports, and if all goes well, we'll be out of here by five." He stood from his seat walking towards his office. "Get to work." He called over his shoulder.

Danny, Elena, and Vivian all scurried to their desks leaving Martin and Samantha seated at the conference table. After a few quiet minutes, Martin moved from his seat to the one nearest the blonde agent. "You don't have any work to do?"

"Not really. Unlike these three, I try not to put off my paperwork until the last minute." She smiled. "What about you? You don't have any papers to sign or anything?"

"Nope. I took care of all that before you got here this morning." He answered, returning her smile. "That's probably a good thing though because I'm not sure I could focus." He whispered softly into her ear, pulling back slowly to look her over appreciatively. "You look great, by the way."

Her cheeks blushed at his unwavering stare. "Thanks."

"What are you doing after work?"

"Nothing that I know of. Why?"

"I just thought maybe we could grab a bite to eat or something." Martin answered, slightly unsure of himself.

"I'd like that." She admitted with a wide smile. Her hand found his underneath the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I think I could get used to this."

"Me too." He agreed, his thumb running lightly over her knuckles.

"Could you two keep the flirting to a minimum, please? I feel like I'm about to puke out a puppy." Danny teased, turning in his chair to face them.

"Shutup, Danny." Samantha glared. "If I had a nickel for everytime you and Elena flirt, I'd be a millionaire."

"She's got a point there, Taylor." Vivian added, looking up from her paperwork.

"Yeah, yeah. Take her side." He countered, spinning back around to face his computer.

"Is he always like that?" Martin asked quietly.

"Yep. You'll get used to it." She assured him.

Martin nodded with a smile on his face. His eyes shifted around to each of his new teammates before settling on Samantha. He was well aware that her hand was still in his and couldn't have been happier, but the longer he sat there, the more he saw a picture of Brady's alcohol induced state.

Although both of them were reluctant to admit it, anyone could tell that he and Samantha were definitely more than friends. That thought both thrilled and frightened him. What if Brady happened to see them together? Or someone else saw them and let it slip to one of his family members? Countless questions ran through his mind before Samantha's soft voice grabbed his attention.

"Marty?"

"Yeah?"

"What's going on? What's wrong?" She asked timidly.

He sent her a shadow of a smile, thinking his answer over. _Lie to her and deal with it on my own, or tell the truth and find out how she feels about the situation. _Martin weighed the two options in his mind before deciding on the latter. "Last night I when I got home I found Brady on the couch surrouned by beer bottles. He was holding a picture of the two of you, talking about how happy you were and where it all went wrong. He asked me to look after you."

"Oh."

"Yeah." He paused, running his free hand over the back of his neck. "I just don't know what to do. I feel like we've stepped out of friend territory. You know?"

She nodded, at a loss for words. She couldn't imagine Brady being so upset about the demise of their relationship. He'd never been much of a drinker, and to invision him surrounded by empty beer bottles was nearly impossible. Clearly he wasn't taking the breakup well. "So what are we going to do?" She managed to ask.

"I honestly don't know, Sam. I want to be with you, but I don't want to hurt Brady any worse than he already is. I'm just so confused about the whole thing." He looked around, noticing the stange glances people were sending them. Samantha must have noticed them too because she promptly stood and led him by the hand to the balcony outside.

"People can be so nosey." She observed after a few silent minutes passed between them. "I like you Martin. And I want to be with you." She turned to face him, taking both hands in hers. "But if now is not the right time for us to be together, I can wait. I don't want to come between you and your brother because I know how important he is to you. So I guess what I'm trying to say is, I want to be with you, now or in the future. I'm willing to wait however long it takes because I know it'll be worth it. You'll be worth it." Her eyes held his as she attempted to convey the sincerity of her words. Martin was unlike any other man she'd every met, and letting him go easily was not something she planned on doing.

"Really?" He flashed a her dimpled grin that reached from ear to ear as his arms pulled her closer, settling around her waist.

"Yes, really." She answered returning his smile and locking her fingers behind his neck. Her lips brushed his tentatively before she pulled away.

His arms remained wrapped tightly around her middle, refusing to release her. "I want us to be together." He stated. "But we have to keep things low key for awhile okay? I want to give Brady time to move on."

"Yes sir." Her lips curved into a smile. "We should get back inside."

"Yeah, okay."

"So where you takin' me to dinner at?" She asked playfully as the walked back towards the bullpen.

"Wherever your heart desires, m'dear." He smiled, happy to know things were progressing between he and Samantha. Things were looking up.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks so much for all the reviews!! They are greatly appreciated :) Especially those of you who review every chapter!! -- You guys ROCK!! Well, on with it.. **

Chapter 11:

The rest of the week went by quickly, with only two open and shut cases finding their way into the MPU. Martin and Samantha ate lunch together twice throughout the week and spent as much time together at work as possible, much to Danny's delight. They found themselves at the tail end of his countless jokes and endless teasing, but were too happy with the other to really care.

"Hey Fitzy. We're all going out tonight if you wanna come." Danny announced, pulling on his coat and packing up for the night. "If you're lucky, Sam may get drunk and do karaoke."

"Shutup, Danny. That was one time." Sam defended herself, poking him playfully in the chest. "And you promised not to bring it up."

"Did I? I don't remember saying anything of the sort." He countered. "We better go before the place fills up. You coming Viv?"

"Not tonight. Reggie's got a game in an hour that I promised I'd go to. But you guys have fun and play nice."

"Well, I guess it's just us tonight."

"I don't recall anyone agreeing to go with you, so the way I see it, it's just you tonight." Sam quipped.

Elena laughed as she slung her purse over her shoulder. "C'mon, you guys. It'll be fun." She commented. "Please don't leave me alone with this guy." She teased, pointing to the Latino agent.

"Alright, alright, but you're picking up the first round." She told Danny. "You up for it Martin?"

"Of course." He smiled, helping her into her coat.

Danny and Elena walked out of the bullpen hand-in-hand with Samantha and Martin following closely behind. His hand rested gently on her back as he led her from the room.

"Drunken karaoke, eh? I'd pay to see that." Martin joked softly into Sam's ear as they walked to a local bar they frequented.

A small laugh escaped her throat. She slipped her hand beneath his coat, securing it around his waist. "Don't get your hopes up because it'll never happen again."

His arm rested around her shoulders, pulling her tighter to him. "I hate that. I'm sure it would be quite a sight to see." He kissed her temple lightly. "How long have they been together?"

"Danny and Elena?"

"No, Brad and Angelina." He replied sarcastically.

"Ha. Ha. Around 6 months I think. I'm not exactly sure. Why?"

"I just wondered. They seem really close."

"They are."

"Hurry up, guys!" Danny shouted from where he stood just outside the door. "I'm not waiting on you two all night."

Samantha rolled her eyes, taking Martin's hand and weaving them through the crowded bar to find the rest of their group. They slid into the booth across from Danny and Elena, hands intertwined below the table.

"Took you guys long enough." Danny smirked. "We thought you'd ditched us there for a minute."

"Unfortunately not." Sam retorted playfully.

"That one hurt, Spade."

"Yeah, yeah. Go get my martini before I really hurt you."

Danny stood from the booth. "What do you guys want?"

"I think I'll have a martini too." Elena answered.

"Beer's fine." Martin added.

"Two martinis and a beer. Got it." Danny said, heading off to collect their drinks. He returned a few minutes later, setting the drinks on the table.

"Gracias." Elena offered, taking a sip of her drink.

Martin nodded towards the water bottle situated in front of his male colleague. "You're not drinking?"

"Naw, man. Recovering alcoholic." Danny explained pulling the sobriety necklace he wore from the collar of shirt. "Sober for four years and eight months."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know." Martin apologized, feeling guilty drinking in front of a recovering alcoholic.

"Don't be. I'm doing great." He smiled, pointing to Martin's abandoned beer. "Finish your drink, amigo. It doesn't bother me."

Martin nodded, having found a new appreciation for the man before him. He'd overcome such a challenge and was a stronger person because of it. "Good for you, man."

The conversation stilled between them for a few moments before Elena broke the silence. "Guess what Jack did this morning."

"What?" Samantha asked resting her head on Martin's shoulder.

"Well, he was putting some papers through the shredder in the bullpen, and I guess he got distracted, and his tie got caught in the machine. It pulled his tie nearly halfway in before he could hit the off switch." She laughed. "Let's just say he went in with a whole tie, and came out with a half."

"I wish I could've seen that." Samantha laughed.

"I wondered why he took his tie off." Martin added, laughing as well. "Now I know why."

A wicked grin crossed Danny's face as he leaned his elbows on the table. "I'm gonna ask Mac on Monday if he has the surveillance tape."

"Jack is going to kill you." Elena pointed out.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him." He countered.

Music began playing loudly over the speakers in the bar, couples making their way from their tables to the floor. Danny grabbed Elena's hand, pulling her out of the booth and onto the now crowded dance floor.

"This is fun." Martin commented. "How often do you guys do this?"

Samantha lifted her head from his shoulder to look him in the eye. "Almost every Friday, depending on how work is going of course."

He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"Not that I'm complaining or anything, but what was that for?" She asked meeting his clear blue eyes in the dim light of the bar.

"Because I don't get to do that nearly enough." Came his simple reply.

"Feel free to do it anytime you want." She smiled.

He returned her smile, running his fingers through her hair and down her back. She shifted around on the vinyl seat tucking one leg underneath her and resting her hands on his chest. She clutched the fabric in her fingers, pulling him towards her, meeting his lips with her own. The kiss slowly deepened, the two of them losing themselves in the other.

Samantha broke away from the kiss several minutes later, catching her breath and realizing for the first time that Martin's hands had crept below her shirt. His thumbs rubbed soft circles over her abdomen causing goosebumps to erupt over her skin.

"Wow." Martin breathed, the corners of his mouth curving upward.

"Yeah." She agreed with a grin.

Her eyes remained locked with Martin's until she caught sight of a familiar figure entering the bar.

"Oh, God. Don't turn around." She commanded him.

"Why not? What is it?" Martin asked, attempting to turn his head but being stopped by her hand.

"Why is it that when you say 'don't turn around' people automatically want to turn around?" Sam asked no one in particular as she clutched his jaw, preventing his head from facing the door. "Brady's here. So Don't. Turn. Around." She repeated, anunciating each word. Her head fell into the crook of his neck, attempting to hide her own face from the wandering eyes of her former boyfriend.

"What is he doing here?" Martin asked shifting his body away from the door.

"It looks like he's with a woman." Samantha observed, sneaking a glance over his shoulder. "Maybe he's on a date."

"A date? He hasn't said anything about a date."

"Shouldn't you be happy that he's starting to date?" She laughed softly.

"I am happy. He just hasn't said anything about it to me. I mean, I'm his brother. I thought he'd at least mention it to me."

"Maybe he will when it gets more serious." Samantha offered. "Just give him time."

He nodded. "You wanna sneak out?" He asked with a boyish grin.

"Lead the way."

He chanced a quick glance around the bar, quickly locating his brother. He pulled up the collar of his coat, masking the side of his face while Sam dipped her head letting her hair cascade around her face. Martin's hand kept hers tightly in his own, leading her through the sea of people and avoiding his brother at the same time.

They escaped the bar successfully moments later simultaneously breathing a sigh of relief. "That was close." Martin observed, peeking through the window.

"Too close." She agreed.

"Now what's the game plan?" He asked leading her down the sidewalk.

"We could go back to my place and watch a movie or something." She suggested, catching her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Sounds great." Martin smiled before hailing a cab and following Samantha inside. For the first time in awhile he felt nervous about going back to a woman's apartment. The only explanation he could come up with was that it was because of Sam. She was much different than any other woman he'd ever been with and cared very deeply for her. She was an amazing woman, and he couldn't be happier that she wanted to be with him. Of all the men out there, she wanted him. That thought alone left a smile plastered across his face.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

"You own nothing but chick flicks." Martin pointed out, looking through Samantha's DVD collection.

"That's not true." She defended standing from the couch and walking over to him.

"Yes it is. _Sweet Home Alabama, Steel Magnolias, My Best Friend's Wedding, Pretty Woman..._"

"But look. I have other stuff too. Like _Big Daddy, Catch Me if you Can, Walk the Line..._" She countered resolutely.

"Boy, you are one strong-willed woman." He smirked teasingly. "Just pick one. It doesn't matter to me." He sat down in the middle of the couch before stretching out across it.

She popped the disc into the player, glancing back at him with a smile. "You're going to love this one."

"Why do I not believe you?" He asked, returning her smile.

She walked over to the couch, laying down in front of him. His arm wrapped around her middle, holding her to him gently. Her back rested against his chest and their legs tangled together. The movie started, pulling their attention to the TV. As he expected, she had chosen one of the several romantic comedies adorning her shelves.

Martin groaned into her neck as the opening scene of _Sweet Home Alabama_ appeared on the screen.

"Oh hush. It's not that bad." She said, slapping his arm playfully.

"So you say."

They laid snuggled together, watching the movie, and after awhile Martin found himself actually interested in the story developing on screen, not that he'd ever admit that to Samantha of course. His ringing phone interrupted the quiet moment between them sometime later. Sam paused the movie while he climbed off the couch to answer the phone.

"Fitzgerald."

"Hey little brother. I was just calling to tell you that I probably won't be home anytime tonight."

"Um... okay. Why not?" He asked, confused by his brother's behavior.

He heard a soft laugh come from Brady before his reply. "Oh, come on, Marty. Like you don't know." He laughed again. "I had a date with that girl Jennifer that I was telling you about and... let's just say it went really well."

"Jennifer who?" He couldn't believe Brady was being this way. He'd never been one to stay over on a first date. What was going on with him? He ran a hand through his hair roughly, trying to remember a conversation about Jennifer. Samantha walked over to him quietly, wrapping her arms around his neck. _"Who is it?" _She mouthed, nodding towards the phone. _"Brady."_ He mouthed back, his free hand finding its place on her hip.

"Jennifer Robinson. I know you know her. Mom tried to set you two up one time. Remember?"

"Why is she in New York?" Martin inquired, suddenly remembering his mother's numerous attempts at playing matchmaker.

"I've already told you one time. You need to pay attention." He laughed. Martin couldn't be sure if it was a genuine laugh or an alcohol-induced one. "She's working at her uncle's law firm in the city. I ran into her at the gym, we got to talking, and here we are."

"Oh, okay."

"Okay, well I've gotta go. Talk to you later."

"Later." Martin replied, flipping his phone shut and tossing it on a nearby end table.

"What did he want?" Samantha asked, running her fingers through the short hairs on his neck.

He let out a short sigh. "To tell me that he probably wouldn't be home tonight. Apparently he's spending the night at Jennifer's." He focused his eyes on the exposed flesh of her stomach, where his hands rubbed slow circles over the soft skin.

"What's wrong?" Her hand came to rest on his cheek, willing his eyes to meet hers.

"He's just acting strange. I don't know." He sighed. "One day he's drunk and crying over you and the next day he's sleeping with some woman he hardly knows. I'm worried about him, and the worst part is that I feel like it's all my fault."

"First of all, none of this is your fault Martin. And second, Brady is a grown man. He's capable of making his own decisions. I know you're just looking out for him, but you have to let him live his life. Maybe this Jennifer woman will help him move on. You never know, he may really like her."

"I guess you're right." He nodded and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"You guess?" She asked, a small smirk playing on her lips. "C'mon. Let's finish the movie."

They reclaimed their positions on the couch, cuddled comfortably together. "If she marries Andrew, I'm going to kill her." Martin commented a few minutes later, causing a wave of laughter to erupt from Samantha. That sound was one thing he was sure he'd never tire of. She turned her head, brushing her lips across his softly.

"Keep watching."

The movie finished shortly after with Melanie sharing a first dance with her husband Jake. Martin smiled as a mental picture of he and Sam's first dance flashed into his head. Martin would be the first to say that that was a first. Thinking of marriage so soon after starting to date her, meeting her even was ridiculous. Serious relationships had never been his 'thing', but the more time he spent with her, the more he felt like they were in this for the long haul.

Sam rolled over coming face to face with him, and saw the small grin settled on his face. "What are you thinking about?"

"You." He answered honestly, causing her cheeks to blush slightly.

"Oh really? What about me?"

"How beautiful you are on the inside and out, and how lucky I am to be with you." He spoke softly, his smile growing wider by the second. A smile mirroring his own crept across her features as she took him into a slow, sweet kiss.

"Are you staying the night?" She breathed between kisses.

"If you want me to." He answered, leaving the decision to her. Of course he wanted to stay, but he didn't want to seem overeager.

She swung her legs off the couch, grabbed his hand and stood from the couch, pulling him up as well. "Then, let's go to bed."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

Just as sleep began to overtake them, the sharp ring of Martin's phone broke through the quiet. A deep groan escaped his throat as he released his hold on Samantha to answer it.

"Fitzgerald." He answered, his eyes lingering on the sleepy blond beside him. He wanted nothing more than to curl up beside her for the night, but the gruff voice on the phone assured him that that wasn't going to happen.

"I need you back at the office." Jack commanded, wasting no time.

"It's almost two in the morning. Can't it wait?" Martin asked, wondering if Jack ever went home. Sam rolled over, nestling herself underneath his arm.

"If it could wait, do you think I would've called you now? Be here in an hour." The SAC ordered, ending the conversation.

Martin snapped his phone closed and tossed it onto the nightstand. The night had started off wonderfully. He should've known that work would get in the way of his weekend with Samantha. At least Jack didn't call them both in. She was unpleasant enough on a normal weekday; he could only imagine how she would act at 2AM on the weekend.

He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and shuffled out from under her, swinging his legs off the side of the bed. "Martin?" She called in her sleep-filled voice.

"I have to go to work. I'll call you in the morning." He spoke softly, before brushing his lips over hers. "Go back to sleep."

She returned the kiss, letting him pull the covers over her. "Be careful."

"Always."

He put on his clothes from the night before, placed one more kiss on her temple, and left her apartment. He caught a cab home to take a quick shower before going into work. Brady wasn't home, so Martin assumed he'd slept over at what's-her-name's house. Promptly one hour after Jack called, Martin arrived at the FBI building, catching the elevator up to the MPU.

The bullpen was utterly deserted except for a handful of agents working the night shift. The light was on in Jack's office, just as Martin expected. He stifled a yawn that threatened to escape his mouth, pushing the door to the office open.

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah, take a seat." Jack answered, taking his glasses off and rubbing sleep from his eyes. He looked the younger agent in the eye with a short sigh before starting. "First of all, let me say that I didn't want you to do this so soon after being transferred here, but it's out of my hands. Last year we had a man go missing from his home in Scarsdale, Max Wesson. We found him three days later, nearly beaten to death by a group of drug traffickers. We found out later that his teenage son was dealing drugs at the local high school and tried keeping more than his share of the profits, so they took Dad to pay back his son's debts. After Wesson was released from the hospital, he agreed to testify against some members of the group. The US Marshalls have him in protective custody until his court date, but we have reason to believe that someone on the inside is feeding the group information on Wesson's whereabouts."

"What do you need me for?" Martin asked, not quite understanding his role in the situation.

"Van Doren wants someone from our unit in there to figure out what's going on." Jack answered, tossing a folder onto the desk in front of Martin. "I was going to send Danny, but he has some family issues at the moment, and don't ever mention this to Sam or Viv, but I don't feel comfortable sending a woman into the middle of all those guys."

"I understand. When do I go in?" He asked, flipping through the stack of papers.

"Later today. We had to call you in early to get you caught up on the background information and your cover story. It's all in there." Jack pointed to the file before a smiling briefly. "Have fun."

"Thanks." He took the file, leaving Jack's office and grabbing himself a cup of coffee before sitting down at his desk. '_3:30 AM. No human should be expected to work this early._' Martin thought. He ran a hand through his hair, flipping the folder open.

--

Sam sauntered into the office later that morning, coffee in hand. Jack's office was empty, as well as, Viv and Danny's desks. Martin had come in early but she couldn't see him either. Obviously no big cases had come in because the place was nearly devoid of agents.

She dumped her purse and jacket on her desk and switched on her computer. "Might as well finish my reports." She mumbled to herself. She spun around in her chair, waiting for the computer to boot up and noticed Martin slumped over on his desk. A smile made its way onto her face as she walked over to his desk, perching herself on the edge. Her hand crept into his hair, smoothing her fingers through the silky strands.

His eyes blinked open slowly, slightly confused as to where he was. Last night registered in his mind very quickly however when he attempted to sit upright in his chair. The strain of sleeping on his desk had created the master of all neck cramps.

"Good morning." Sam smiled and brushed her lips lightly over his.

"Morning." He returned her smile, working the kinks out of his neck and back.

"Here, let me help." She offered, standing behind him and kneading her fingers into the tight muscles. She had never felt him so tense, and she couldn't be sure if it was because of the way he slept or whatever it was that Jack called him in for. As silly as it was, she couldn't help but be worried about him. "Better?"

"Much. Thanks." He answered, pressing a kiss to her palm.

"So are you going to tell me what's up, or am I going to have to guess?" She questioned, easing herself onto his desk.

He flashed her a boyish grin and took her hand in his own. "It amazes me how you do that." He paused lifting the file off the desktop. "Remember Max Wesson?" Sam nodded so he continued. "He is supposed to testify against drug traffickers in a few days, and some of the higher-ups think someone on the inside is feeding information to them. I'm going undercover to keep Wesson safe and find out who the mole is."

Worry instantly washed over her features, and her smile suddenly disappeared.

"Don't worry, Sam. It's very low-risk. I'm there for observation only." He explained, trying to calm her fears.

"How can I not worry? You're gonna be with a crooked US Marshal and a man that drug dealers are trying to kill."

"We're in these kind of situations all the time doing what we do."

She shook her head slowly, her eyes dropping to their intertwined fingers. "This is different, and you know it."

"Please don't do this. You know as well as I do that I can't say no to something like this." He paused rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. "Everything will be fine."

"Just be careful, okay?" Came her quiet reply.

"Sam, look at me." Reluctantly she forced her eyes to meet his bright blue orbs. He reached up, pushing an errant strand of hair behind her ear. "I can't say nothing bad will happen, but I'm not going to do anything stupid to get myself hurt. Okay?"

"Okay. Sorry I'm acting like such a girl." She said, causing a small smile to pull at the corners of his mouth.

"It's not problem. Frankly, I'm flattered."

"Getting pleasure from my pain, eh?" She joked, happy to move the conversation to a lighter subject. She hoped everything would go the way he planned. They had only been together a short time, but the thought of losing him was almost unbearable. Men had never been Samantha's forte, but with Martin, she felt like she had finally found someone she could see herself being with long term. Van Doren would never knowingly put an agent in danger, she knew that. That did nothing to ease her worried mind, though.

"Never." He smiled, leaning forward and kissing her softly. "I'll be fine."

"I know you will. I just wonder about myself."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

Martin was picked up in a standard, government issue, black SUV later that after noon. A duffle bag was in the back seat as well as a bag containing three suits. Apparently the higher-up's knew a little bit about his fashion sense, or 'lack thereof' Samantha liked to say. His companion wore a black suit, white oxford, and black tie and donned a pair of dark Ray Ban's. This guy was definitely into the whole _I'm a govermnment official_ look. Martin smiled to himself glancing out the darkly tinted window.

The neithborhood looked much like any other surburban area. To be quite honest, it looked very similar to the Toland's neighborhood. About an hour after leaving the FBI office, the SUV pulle dup in front of a quiet residence with a single Lincoln towncar parked in the driveway.

"This way." Ray Ban's ordered, leading him up the drive to the front door of the one story brick house. Martin couldn't help but find the humor in the situation. The house had a deep navy blue door and shutters with curtains obscuring the view through the windows. The lawn was cut short and flower beds filled with tulips were positioned along the front of the house. Ray Ban's knocked on the door, and seconds later it was opened slightly. A face appeared in the crack, looking the two visitors over.

"Who's this?" He asked, pulling the door open further and nodding in Martin's direction.

"Agent Fitzgerald from the New York FBI office."

"What's he doing here?" The man asked gruffly.

"He's replacing Stephens."

The man stepped aside, allowing the two of them inside the house. Martin noticed two more Marshalls seated outside a bedroom just off the main room. Obviously that's where Wesson was hiding out. "Why are the fibbies getting involved, Rob?" _So Ray Ban's does have a name, Rob. _The man asked, falling back onto the couch, giving Martin a sideways glance.

"You're asking the wrong person."

The two turned to Martin, looking to him for some sort of an explanation. "Don't ask me." He said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I just got the order this morning. I think some of the higher-ups just wanted extra eyes around to make sure that everything goes as planned."

"Mmhm." The man grunted, nodding his head skeptically. "Well, since you'll be hanging around with us for a few days, I guess I could introduce you to everyone." He pointed across the room to the men seated by the door. "Those guys are Johnson and Johnson." He announced with a smile. "No joke. They're job is to keep tabs on Wesson at all times. Whereever he goes, they go. And I suppose you've already met Rob."

"Rob Newell." Ray Ban's intoduced himself, shaking Martin's outstretched hand.

"And I'm David Ronson." He shook Martin's hand as well, gesturing for him to take a seat. "We're more involved with the actual case. How much do you know about it?"

Martin sighed, rubbing a hand over his jaw and chin. "Not too much. Mainly just what's in his missing person's file."

"To be quite honest," Rob started, "that's probably for the best. The less you know, the better."

"He's right. The guy's who are after him are pretty dangerous, so the best way to keep safe is to do the work you're assigned, and don't ask questions." David added.

With that comment, the conversation ended between Martin and the group of Marshalls. He set up fort at the dining room table, giving him a clear view of the rest of the house and its occupants. So far, nothing looked out of the ordinary. The Marshalls seemed to be doing exactly what they were assigned to do. Rob and David kept an eye out for anyone suspicious lurking around and made sure Wesson had his story straight while the Johnson's stayed with Wesson at all times, protecting him from anything remotely dangerous.

Martin flipped open Wesson's file, reading over the details once more. Flipping through the pages, he couldn't get David's comments from his mind. He knew absolutely nothing about the people threatening this man, and nothing in the file made the case any clearer. Before leaving that morning, he tried to quell Samantha's fears about the situation, but the longer he tried to figure things out, the more he began to feel his own fears nagging him.

His phone vibrating in his pocket broke him from his worried thoughts.

"Fitzgerald." He answered.

"Hey." A smile instantly spread across his face, hearing her soft voice.

"Hey. Hold on a second." He shut the file, threw it into his briefcase, and walked towards the front door. "I'll be just outside. I gotta take this." He told the guys, walking out of the house and taking a seat on the front steps. "Okay."

"Trying to get away from your other girlfriend?" She quipped, laughing lightly.

"Maybe."

"Well, don't let me get in the way of anything."

"It's okay. She can wait." He joked, hearing her laugh.

"How are you?" Her voice coming out just above a whisper.

"I'm fine, ready for all of this to be over." He spoke just as softly. "I miss you."

"You saw me a couple of hours ago." She countered. He heard the shift in her voice, imagining the smile settled on her lips. Or did she have her bottom lip caught between her teeth.

"Exactly. Hours ago. That's way too long."

"Yeah, yeah. Aren't you a charmer?"

"You love it." He stated jokingly.

He could hear the smile in her voice as she replied. "Only God knows why."

"What are you doing?" He asked, hearing a bit of rustling on her end.

"Changing my clothes and getting ready for bed. Why? What are you doing?"

A deep blush made its way onto his cheeks, thinking of Sam and her before bed routine. He'd only slept over one night and all they'd done was sleep, but he had made it a point to remember everything about that night. "Right now, I'm hating Jack for sending me here."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" She was pretty sure she already knew the answer, but hearing him admit it would definitely bring a smile to her face. She rolled further into the sheets, inhaling Martin's scent that still lingered on his pillow. _His_ pillow.

"Do you even have to ask?"

"No, but I am."

"Well, tonight I'll be sleeping in a room with four other guys while my very beautiful girlfriend is all by herself." He said tipping his head back to look at the night sky. "I think that's reason enough."

"Don't worry, Marty. I'm sure your girlfriend is just as upset about sleeping alone as you are." She smiled. "Well, I've gotta get up early and go to work, so I'll let you go."

"Okay." He answered somewhat dejectedly. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"You better."

"Goodnight, Sam."

"G'night, Marty."

He snapped his phone shut, hearing the line go dead. He dropped his head into his hands, savoring the thoughts of Sam running through his mind. A few minutes passed before he forced himself off the steps and back into the house.

"What was that about, Fitz?" Rob asked, not missing the goofy smile on his face.

"Nothing."

"Mmhm. Then what's with that goofy smile?" David asked, picking up on his slightly flushed cheeks as well.

Martin plopped down into the recliner across from them, unable to wipe the smile from his face. He couldn't believe one woman had such a strong effect on him.

"So it's a woman then?"

"Not just any woman." He smiled, bating them.

"Uh oh, looks like someone is in deep." Rob joked, punching his shoulder softly. "Well, what's she like?"

"You guys really want to talk about my love life?"

The two Marshalls laughed before David answered. "Man, we've been cooped in this house together for nearly a week with no TV. What else is there to talk about?"

"Well, lucky for you boys because she's my favorite thing to talk about." Martin admitted with a crooked smile. "For one, she is _the_ most beautiful woman I've ever seen. She has long blonde hair that falls down past her shoulders and big brown eyes that seem to pull me to her. She's smart, funny, and passionate. And she carries a gun." He finished, feeling butterflies erupting in his stomach as he rallied off details about her.

"And what's this wonder woman's name?" Rob asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

"Samantha. Sam." The smile never left his face.

"And she carries a gun?"

"She's in my unit at the Bureau."

"Well, good for you man. I wish I could find someone like that." David commented. "I have to admit, though, I've never really been one for blondes." He smirked.

"Me neither." Martin said truthfully. He had actually had a thing for brunettes for years, never once dating a blonde. The cliché about blondes being dumb had held true in his mind until that day not so long ago that she had stepped into his life. As surreal as it was, he felt more for this particular blonde than had for any other woman. _Ever._


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

The night when by slowly, with Martin spending the majority of it tossing and turning. So far, he had nothing to go on as far as finding which Marshall was the mole, and Jack was not happy about that fact. Apparently Jack couldn't remember how difficult undercover operations were at times. It wasn't hard to believe. The man had probably never even been undercover before.

Martin groaned, rolling over to take a look at the clock. 2AM. He punched his pillow a few times, settling further into the couch. All he could think about was figuring this case out and getting back to the real world.

He had nearly dozed off when he heard careful footsteps in the hallway outside Wesson's room. He kept his eyes shut tight, listening intently for any clue as to who it was. The person continued along the hallway, through the living room where Martin was, and quietly out the front door. Hearing the front door click into place, he chanced a quick glance around his surroundings. Johnson and Johnson sat unmoving, overcome by sleep in the chairs they'd been in all day. That left Rob and David.

He slipped off the couch and crawled over to the front window pushing the curtain to the side slightly to catch a glimpse of the escapee. David sat on the steps with his elbows resting on his knees and head dropped, eyes focused on the ground. His mouth was moving like he was speaking to himself, but from this distance Martin couldn't make out the words. He watched him several minutes hoping to catch anything incriminating from his actions, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Well, except for the fact that it was two o'clock in the morning.

Slowly David picked something up from beside him. Martin couldn't be sure, but it looked like a book of some sort. The Marshall opened the book, flipping through the pages before settling on something and beginning to read. Then Martin noticed it. The silver cross embossed on the front cover shining in the dim porch light. A Bible.

He released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, moving away from the window and back to the couch. Well, he could pretty much count David out as being suspicious. He thought he'd caught him in the act, conspiring against Max Wesson, but it was no such thing. The man was praying and reading a Bible. Not to say he was incapable of doing wrong or being a conspirator, but reading a Bible isn't exactly a crime, so yet again he had absolutely no leads to pursue and nothing beneficial to tell Jack.

Maybe he should get David to ask God which man he was looking for. It'd certainly take a lot off of his own shoulders.

He let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes and feeling sleep begin to overtake him. For a whole fifteen minutes he thought he'd finally found a solid lead, but it didn't turn out quite like he hoped. _'Back to square one' _he thought, drifting off to sleep.

:

The next morning Martin woke up to find the kitchen filled with Marshalls. Dave and Rob stood over the stove fixing breakfast, complete with eggs, bacon, and pancakes.

"Mornin' Fitz." Rob announced as Martin made his way to the dining room table. "Sleep okay?"

"Yeah. After I got the couch to agree with me."

"It's a little difficult to get used to. Before Stephens left, that's where I had to sleep. It'll grow on you." David explained with his back to the group, steadily flipping pancakes. "Breakfast is ready, guys. Come and get it." He filled a plate for each man and set it on the counter.

"This is really good." Martin commented shoving another forkful of pancakes into his mouth.

"Yeah. Dave's a pretty good cook." Rob agreed.

Martin's phone started ringing in the other room, so tossed his plate in the sink and ran over to answer it. "Fitzgerald."

"Have you made any progress?" Jack's gruff voice asked over the phone.

He cleared his throat and stepped outside the house. "Not yet. I thought I had something last night, but it turned out to be a dead end."

"The case is at the end of the week. I need to know who is behind all this and what they're planning."

"I know. I'm working on it." Martin answered getting frustrated with his bosses attitude. It wasn't as if Martin was intentionally ignoring any signs. He just didn't see anything mysterious going on with any of the guys. "I'll call you when I have something." He finished, snapping his phone shut and shoving it into his pocket.

He leaned back against the door taking a few deep breaths trying to calm himself down. Jack could really be a pain. Martin couldn't understand why Jack was being so harsh with him. He hadn't even been a part of the original investigation. Jack couldn't actually expect him to solve the case in one day.

He felt the phone vibrating in his pocket, so he pulled it back out, feeling his anger begin to flare up expecting Jack on the other line.

"Fitzgerald."

"Well, someone is a ray of sunshine this morning." Samantha laughed lightly, hearing the anger in his voice. "Are you okay?"

A small smile made its way onto his face. "Better now." He sighed. "I'm just frustrated with all of this."

"I know. I heard Jack when he called you earlier. He's just getting a lot of pressure from upstairs and taking it out on you. Don't let it get to you so much, okay?"

"I'll try not to." Martin heard his phone beep, signaling that he had another call. "Someone's trying to call me. Can I call you back?"

"Yeah sure." She answered hanging up.

Martin looked at the ID seeing Brady's name on the screen. "Hello?"

"Hey little brother." Brady said. "Where are you? I haven't seen you in a while."

He ran a hand through his hair haphazardly, mentally chastising himself for not mentioning anything about the operation to his brother. "Oh yeah, I totally forgot to tell you. I'm gonna be out of the city for work for a few days. I'm not sure when I'll be home. Sorry, man. I didn't even think to call you."

"Oh, it's no problem. I was just wondering who the lucky lady is?" Brady teased. Martin felt his cheeks flush and was glad he was just talking to his brother over the phone and not in person. Brady didn't know how right he actually was, but there was no way Martin was about to begin to explain that whole situation.

Martin laughed. "What about your lady friend? How's that working out?"

"Pretty good. I actually asked her to come home with me for Thankgiving."

Martin felt a wave of relief rush over him at that admission. If Brady was planning on moving forward with this woman, then surely he would be okay with him and Samantha being together. He sure hoped so anyway. "Wow. It sounds like things are getting serious really quickly." He observed.

"Yeah, I know. But it's not like I just met her." Brady explained. "Can you just be happy for me Martin? I really like Jennifer. She's a good person."

"Did I say anything?"

"No, but I know you wanted to."

He sighed, knowing his brother had a point. "If she makes you happy, then I'm happy, Brady."

"You mean that?" He asked somewhat timidly.

"Yes. Look I've gotta get back to work. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye, Brady." He said ending the call.

He couldn't believe everything that had happened over the past few weeks. He'd moved to a new city, started a new job, and met a wonderful woman. And apparently Brady was ready to move on with Jennifer. He was even planning on taking her to meet the family. All Martin could hope is that Brady would be okay with him dating Samantha so he could bring her to meet the family, even though technically she'd already met them.

He wanted to be able to move on too, with Samantha.

Things hadn't worked out with Sam and his brother, but he really felt like things could and would be great between them. Now the only thing he had to do was tell Brady.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I updated. I thought I had already posted chapter 16, but I only did it at DestinedTo. Sorry. So, here are two new chapters for you. :)**

**Chapter 16:**

A few more days passed before Martin witnessed anything suspicious going on with any of the guys in the house. One night he'd woken up to find Johnson and Johnson talking in hushed tones outside the front door. From what he could gather, their plan was set up for the day of the trial. A shooter had already been put in place inside the courtroom. All they had to do was give the gunman a window of opportunity.

Martin waited until the next morning to relay the information to Jack, so he would be able to give him all the details without letting the Johnson's know he was catching onto their plan.

"What do you mean a shooter is already in place?" Jack asked after Martin detailed all that he'd discovered. "Who is it?"

"I'm not sure. All I know is that they already have a man inside. It could be anyone."

"Okay. Well, you're staying under until the trial. Try to find out who it is."

"Yes, sir." Martin answered, hanging up the phone and shoving it into his pocket.

The sun was shining brightly that morning and a gentle breeze was blowing. For the millionth time he wished he could leave the confines of the tiny safehouse. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he reluctantly headed back inside. A few more days and this would all be over.

:

Samantha sat at her desk flipping through and endless stack of papers trying to get a hit on their missing person. The team had worked all night and come up empty. It seemed the man ceased to exist on the date of his disappearance, much to his wife and children's dismay.

Viv, Elena, and Danny were all chasing leads out of the office while she stayed behind to man the phones. Not long after lunch Martin's desk phone began ringing. Surely, all the members of the team knew Martin was undercover for the time being and wouldn't answer his desk phone. She debated letting it go to his voicemail but the endless ringing was difficult to ignore, so she forced herself out of her chair and over to his desk.

"Spade." She answered, dropping into his seat.

"Agent Spade? I thought this was Martin's number." She tensed slightly, mentally berating herself for answering the phone in the first place.

"It is sir, but he's out of the office. Can I help you with anything, Deputy Director?" Talking to Victor Fitzgerald had never been something she particularly enjoyed, but he was her boss, so she couldn't exactly just hang up on him. Not if she wanted to keep her job, that is.

"Just have him call me when he gets a chance. His mother needs to know if he's planning on coming down for Thankgiving."

"Okay, sir. I'll tell him you called." She scribbled a short note before hanging up the phone. She picked it back up, dialing Martin's cell. He had been pretty busy the last few days, leaving them only a few minutes to talk each night. It was safe to say that she'd never been so attached to a man before and had was understandably mopey around the office, which delighted Danny to no end. Thankfully after awhile Elena intervened and he quit his teasing.

"Fitzgerald." His voice drifted across the line.

"Hey, it's me."

"What are you doing at my desk?" He asked with a laugh. "Do you miss me that bad?"

Samantha rolled her eyes as a small smile settled on her lips. "Oh yes, I just can't go on without you." She deadpanned.

"Now, I don't think you were being sincere about that." He chuckled. "What's up?"

"Nothing, much. I've been going through credit card receipts and phone records all morning. So, needless to say, it's been a long day. How are you?"

"Good, but I'm counting down the days until the trial."

"Me too." She answered softly. "Anyway, I was actually calling to tell you that your dad called and wants you to call him when you get a chance."

"Oh, okay." His voice dropped, thinking of what his father could possibly need to speak to him about. "Did he say about what?"

"Your mom wants to know if you're going down there for Thanksgiving." She explained, looking over the photos taped to his desk. She noticed one of his family taken in the Fitzgerald's home in D.C. Everyone looked so happy. She could only hope that one day things would improve between him and Brady, and they would all be happy again.

"I should've known. She starts preparing for holidays months in advance."

"That's not hard for me to believe." Sam laughed, remembering how organized his mother had been about her week long visit not long before.

Martin sighed deeply over the phone after several moments of silence. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." Hearing the nervousness in his voice, her heart sped up, wondering what he could possibly be so uneasy about asking her.

"I know it's kind of soon, and things are pretty new for us, but I was wondering if maybe you'd want to go with me."

"Go with you where?" She asked softly, fearing she already knew the answer.

"To my parents'. I want you to come with me for Thanksgiving. As my girlfriend."

"Martin, I don't know. Can we talk about it when you get back?" Although, she had already met his family, she wasn't exactly sure they'd be too happy to see her again. Considering the circumstances of her last visit she was fairly certain that Martin would be the only person who actually wanted her there. "I just need some time to think about it, okay?"

"Okay." He answered somewhat dejectedly. "If you don't want to, you don't have to. I just thought... well, I don't know what I was thinking." A nervous laugh escaped his mouth.

"It's not that I don't want to. It's just that I'm not sure your family will be too excited to see me there." She admitted smiling softly at a picture of she and Martin resting on his desk. It was a snapshot he had taken of them at the baseball game in Washington.

"We'll talk about it after this investigation is over." Although he knew that what she said was true, he couldn't help but be disappointed that she hadn't readily agreed.

"You aren't mad are you?" Fear crept into her voice at his frustrated tone.

"No. I just hate that we can't be open about everything between us. If it weren't for Brady we wouldn't have this problem."

"If it weren't for Brady, we might not have even met." Samantha laughed, trying to ease the tension.

"Well, I guess that's true. You never know though. I might have taken the job in New York and we would've met anyway."

"That's a valid point there." She agreed, looking up to see Jack walking towards her. "I've gotta go. Duty calls."

"I miss you, you know." He added before ending the conversation.

"I know. I miss you too." She smiled and hung up the phone.

"What are you doing at Martin's desk?" Jack asked, furrowing his brow slightly.

"It's a long story. What's up?" She stood up from his chair heading towards the conference table. He joined her at the table pushing over another stack of papers.

"He's in witness protection. That's why we can't find anything on him."

"So I guess that's case closed then." Her hand smoothed down her hair, before leaning back in her seat.

"Pretty much. Danny, Elena, and Viv are on the way back in now." Jack explained. "I need your report before you leave."

The team drifted back into the bullpen to finish up reports and head home for the night. Climbing into bed that night she couldn't wait for Martin to come home. She had really missed him the few days he'd been gone. She snuggled further into the covers, inhaling his scent, and drifted off to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:**

The day of Wesson's trial couldn't have come any sooner. Martin had been trapped inside a safehouse with five other men for nearly a week, and was going absolutely stir crazy. The only thing that kept him feeling relatively normal was being able to call and talk to Samantha. He didn't know how Rob and David were still sane. They'd been in the house longer than he had, and he hadn't seen either one of them pick up a phone for anything other than work.

After clearing it with Jack, Martin talked to Rob and David about the Johnson's. Between the three of them, they were able to keep an eye on the crooked Marshalls at all times and came up with some possibilities of who would be the courtroom gunman. The US Marshalls were notified as well as the FBI and several agents from each agency were set up inside.

To keep from alarming anyone, they unanimously decided to leave the Johnson's in place, but under constant surveillance. The morning of the trial, they would be kept outside the courtroom until the shooter was identified. Then, the two of them would be arrested for conspiring to commit murder.

Everything was in place as the group of men set out that morning. Martin couldn't be happier than he was at that moment, finally living the confines of the tiny brick house. He had his bag packed and slung over his shoulder as they climbed into the SUVs parked outside that would escort them to the courthouse. Thankfully tonight he would be back in his own bed, in his own apartment. One more night on the couch was near torture.

"All set, Fitz?" He heard Ron's voice through the earpiece he wore. Ron rode in an SUV with the Johnson's and Wesson while Martin and David followed behind in another SUV.

"You know it." He answered back, seeing the courthouse come into view up ahead. "Let's get this over with."

"Amen to that." David commented as the two of them exited the SUV, noticing the other four guys already standing at the entrance.

Walking into the courthouse, Martin recognized several agents from the Bureau in street clothes and suspected other bystanders were agents dressed as civilians. A familiar blonde situated on a bench outside the courtroom caused a wide grin to settle on his face.

He hadn't even entertained the idea that she would be here, but after thinking about it, it made sense. She and Danny were the agents that found Wesson after he went missing. He stood in the entrance with the rest of the guys staring at her.

"That must be the Samantha we've all heard so much about." David smiled, nodding in Sam's direction.

She slowly turned her head towards him, meeting his eyes from across the room. The corners of his mouth pulled up as he answered. "That's her."

"Go talk to her."

"I don't know if I should. I need to focus on the trial right now. I don't want to get distracted and mess something up." Martin reasoned.

David let out a small laugh, knocking Martin's shoulder lightly. "Man, you'll be distracted if you don't."

"I'll just be a minute."

"Don't worry about it. I'll let you know when it's time for us to go in." David said with a smile. "Now, go see your woman before I do."

Martin walked away laughing and took a seat beside her. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself." She countered with a smile. "So that's your posse?"

"Yeah, but they prefer the term entourage."

Sam rolled her eyes with a smile. "I'm sure."

His hand rested gently on hers, entwining their fingers together. The pad of his thumb rubbed soft circles over the smooth skin of her hand while her head rested on his shoulder. "I'm glad this is almost over." She admitted after a few moments of comfortable silence.

"Me too. I've missed you." He pressed a kiss into her hair.

"I've missed you, too. You've kind of started to grown on me, Marty."

"Likewise." He grinned. His 'posse' headed for the courtroom and David gave him a subtle nod, gesturing him inside. "It's time for me to get in there. I'll see you in a little while?"

She glanced around their surroundings and satisfied that no one was paying them much attention, brushed her lips lightly over his. "You will."

He gave her a soft, slow kiss before standing and following the others inside. The doors to the courtroom shut and everyone took seat, waiting for the trial to begin. Martin let out a deep sigh. All he could do now was wait for one of the suspects to make his move. Rob and David were situated near the front of the room while Martin was standing along the back wall. Johnson and Johnson had been kept outside under the watchful eye of Jack and the rest of the team so that Martin and his new friends could detain the shooter with no problems from the two of them.

Not fifteen minutes into the trial Martin noticed a man shifting awkwardly from where he sat in the middle of the courtroom. Something seemed off with the way he was behaving, but before he could make a move, the man fell to the floor in convulsions and foaming at the mouth. Emergency personnel rushed over, every eye in the room focused on him.

"It's a set up." Martin whispered to himself. All of a sudden a red headed man in the jury jumped out of his seat, snatching a gun from his coat. "Freeze! FBI!" He shouted above the pandemonium in the room. A gurney was wheeled through the double doors as EMTs rushed the dying man out of the the room and to an ambulance.

People running from the room for cover as they noticed the man waving the gun wildily. He was searching the room for Wesson, slinging the gun in every direction.

David spun around finding the gunman and drawing his weapon while Rob forced Max to the ground. "Drop the gun!"He shouted.

With his target out of sight, the man grabbed a frightened woman as she ran by and pulled her tightly to himself, peering at the two agents over her shoulder. Tears streamed down her face as she begged him to release her.

"Let her go!" David shouted again.

Martin kept his gun trained on the redhead moving opposite to David, trapping the man in the juror's box. "There's no way out! Let her go, and drop the gun!"

By now everyone had evacuated the courtroom except for Martin, David, the red-haired gunman, and the terrified woman in his grasp. Agents covered all possible exits, leaving no chance for escape. "If I don't do this, they'll kill me." Came his wavering reply.

"C'mon man. Just put the gun down, so we can talk about this." David reasoned. "We'll have you in custody. They can't touch you."

He shook his head violently, anger burning in his brown eyes. He pulled the woman tighter to him eliciting a small cry from her mouth. "You don't know these people. They're everywhere."

Martin chanced a quick glance in David's direction. In that instant, they knew what was about to happen. There was no talking this guy down. If they didn't do something soon, someone was going to get hurt. They needed to talk him down and quick. Martin gave him a short nod, answering the question in his eyes.

"Okay, I'm putting my gun away. So we can talk." He laid the gun on the floor and took a tentative step towards him.

"Don't come any closer. I'll kill her. I swear." He turned his body to focus the gun on Martin, losing the barrier he had made between himself and the agents. David now had a clear shot to his exposed back and side. With that opportunity, he fired a shot, penetrating the gunman's upper leg. Immediately he fell to the ground, dropping his firearm along the way. Martin pulled the hostage away while David snapped a pair of cuffs on his wrists.

The agents in the doorways helped remove the bleeding man from the room while Martin escorted the trembling lady from the courtroom. Stepping out into the open area of the courthouse and reholstering his weapon, his eyes wandered over the sea of people instantly settling on Samantha.

He walked straight over to her, took her by the hand, and led her away from the small circle of agents she was with. Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth and her brown eyes were clouded with fear and worry.

"C'mere." His voice was soft as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. Her arms slipped around his waist as she breathed him in.

"When I heard that gunshot, I was so scared that something happened to you." She admitted, settling deeper into his embrace. "Sorry, I know I'm being ridiculous." She attempted a laugh.

He lifted her chin gently, meeting her deep brown eyes with his. "There's nothing to apologize for, and you're not being ridiculous. Okay? I'm fine. Don't worry so much." He smiled watching a hint of a smile form on her lips as well.

"Can we go now?"

"Yeah. I need to swing by the office for a minute though and write up my report."

"Okay. You up for some company?"

"Always." He smiled brushing his lips over her mouth softly. "Let's get out of here."

The pair left the building hand-in-hand, happy and relieved that Martin's week long investigation was over. He retrieved his bag of clothes from the SUV and climbed into the car with Samantha, heading for the FBI offices. Sitting in the passenger seat, his fingers locked with Sam's, he let out a deep sigh of relief. He couldn't wait to get back to the real world.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18:**

"I don't see what's wrong with this place." Brady observed with a deep sigh, walking around the vacant two bedroom apartment.

"What's not wrong with it?!" Martin scoffed gesturing around himself at the cracks in the ceiling and sagging wooden floor. "The floor is uneven, the ceiling looks like it could collapse at any moment, and I have a nice view of a deserted alley." He added pointing out the lone window, which was painted tightly shut.

"It's not that bad."

"Oh yeah? Well, how about you move in here, and I'll take your place."

Brady let out a short laugh. "No thanks, little brother. This isn't exactly my style."

"That's what I thought." Martin laughed.

He and Brady had been looking at apartments around the city all weekend, trying to find Martin his own apartment. Not that either one of them was having a problem with living together, but Martin felt like it was about time to find somewhere to call his own. Brady wasn't a terrible roommate by any means, but they were slowly but surely beginning to annoy one another.

They'd both searched for available apartments and went out first thing Saturday morning to check them out. So far, nothing was even close to something Martin felt comfortable living in. More than a few had rodent problems, others were in bad neighborhoods, while others were simply out of his price range.

It was almost noon on Sunday, and they were quickly running out of prospects.

"Maybe you should just take Mom up on her offer and live in the house uptown." Brady suggested after leaving the near dilapidated dwelling.

His mother had called during the week to offer Martin the family's brownstone uptown. The Fitzgerald family had owned the house for years, but rarely was it actually lived in. The only person to even enter the house recently was a woman named Tina that came once a week to clean it. It was a nice house, no doubt about it, but it was much more than Martin wanted or needed.

"Maybe, but only if there's no alternative. I'm too old to be mooching off Mom and Dad."

His brother grinned. "But you're not too old to mooch off of me?"

"Nope. I'm the younger brother. That's my God given right." Martin quipped.

"That's just what you think."

Laughter erupted between the two, and Martin realized for the first time just how much better his relationship with Brady had been lately. Living together for the past month or so had definitely mended a few unsettled conflicts there. They resolved the issues that had come up in Washington and had actually begun to develop a brotherly love that they hadn't had in years.

Martin smiled inwardly, relishing how happy he felt at that moment. He had his big brother back.

"What's with that goofy look on your face?" Brady asked a few minutes later as they walked into a nearby diner for lunch.

"What? I don't have a goofy look."

He laughed, plopping down in an empty booth. "Yes you do. You look just like you did that time in junior high when Abby Freeman let you touch her 'booby', as you so eloquently put it."

Martin chuckled at the memory, his face turning a shade of red. "Abby Freeman. I'd almost forgotten about her. Didn't she get pregnant in Sophomore year?"

"Probably. It wouldn't surprise me. She always was a little too ... friendly with the boys at school."

"You could say that again."

"So, what's on your mind?" The elder Fitzgerald questioned, glancing over the laminated menu.

"I was just thinking about how much closer we've gotten over the past few weeks. I didn't realize we'd grown so far apart until I moved in with you. I miss the friendship we had when we were kids."

"Me too, little brother. Me too."

The waitress arrived at their table, interrupting the conversation between them. They placed their orders before picking up where they left off.

"I know I've given you a hard time lately, Marty, and I just want you to know that I'm sorry for some of the things I've said and done and despite everything that's happened between us, I still love you."Brady took a long sip of his drink. "One more thing. If you ever repeat what I just said, I'll kill you." He continued with the patented Fitzgerald smirk.

"Understood, Mister Master Big Brother Brady." He replied playfully.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19:

Several days later, Martin sat at his desk, searching the internet for a new apartment. The team had had an uncharacteristically slow week. One case came in early Monday morning, but they found their missing person upstate late Tuesday afternoon. The uptight business man retreated to a cabin in upstate New York. He left his wife, his kids. Apparently, the stress was more than he could stand.

The only thing worse than finding the MP dead was finding out that he or she didn't want to return to their old life. Understandably, the team hadn't been at all happy with the outcome, but there was nothing any of them could do about it. If a man wanted to abandon his wife and kids, no one could force him not to.

Martin had always wanted a family of his own, and to know that someone would just desert his family was unfathomable.

All of a sudden a blue, foam football landed on his desk, breaking him from his thoughts and strewing papers across his desktop. A roar of laughter erupted behind him that he instantly recongnized as Danny's. He spun around in his chair, a playful glare on his face. The girls were settled around the conference table while Danny continued laughing from his desk.

Martin picked up the blue football from his desk and held it tightly in his grasp. "I'll give you guys thirty seconds to admit who threw it." He threatened, glancing around the room. He didn't actually need them to confess. His top notch investigative skills led him to believe that the Latino agent stuggling to hold in his laughter was the culprit. Well, the fact that he was an investigator didn't have a lot to do with it. He wasn't stupid.

"Don't look at me, Fitz." Danny stuggled to speak, pointing in the girls' direction.

His blue eyes drifted over to the conference table where the female agents sat, seemingly oblivious to the entire exchange between he and Danny. "They aren't even paying us any attention."

"They're women. They naturally ignore us." He reasoned.

A short laugh escaped Martin's throat. "Good point." He felt Samantha's gaze linger on him before averting her eyes. Guilty. _''Sam?'' _He mouthed to Danny, tilting his head in her direction.

Danny nodded with a smirk. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms of his chest, happy to be out of Martin's sights.

He waited long enough for her to get deep into conversation with Viv and Elena before tossing the ball towards her. It hit the table with a thud, scattering a pile papers into the floor and rolled into her lap.

"Martin!" She shrieked, nearly jumping from her chair.

"You started it." He retorted with a wide smile.

Her mouth dropped open at the accusation before a mischievous grin settled on her lips. "Did not."

"Why, Agent Spade, I think you're lying." Martin rolled his chair over to the conference table, settling his chair directly across from her.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

Danny groaned loudly, coming to join them around the conference table. "Get a room, guys."

Samantha sent him a glare he was all too familiar with. "Who needs a room? We'll just use your desk."

The team broke out in laughter, save for Danny. His cheeks flushed a dark shade of red, and his eyes went wide. "You haven't... you know." He stuttered.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Sam countered with a sly grin.

Elena laughed at the expression on Danny's face. "I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of it. It's not like we've never done that before."

'Elena!" He yelped, his face turning an even brighter red.

"What? It's the truth." She smiled.

The two started an apparently very heated conversation in Spanish while Sam, Viv, and Martin sat staring at them in quiet amusement.

"Look what you started." Sam commented, flashing a smile at Martin.

"What I started? I think you're mistaken because if I recall correctly, you made the comment about Danny's desk." He smirked. "We'll have to have a talk about that later."

"Oh really?" A light flush covered her cheeks.

Viv smiled at the two couples situated around her. The team had been much closer lately, and she couldn't help but notice it. Things had been much lighter and easier to deal with since the four younger agents began romantic relationships with one another. Samantha especially had been happier and more easy-going. Granted, when she was with Brady she wasn't unpleasant, but with Martin she was an entirely different person.

She glanced outside noticing the sun dip below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the city. "Well, I'd say it's about time to go. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Night, Viv." The four of them spoke as she left the bullpen.

"You two up for dinner?" Elena asked, having cleared up whatever rift was between she and Danny.

Sam glanced at Martin before answering for the two of them. "Sure. Where to?"

"Hop Lee?" Danny suggested.

"Sounds good." Martin answered standing and pushing his chair back to his desk. He took his coat off the back of his chair and slung it over his shoulder. "Ready to go?" He asked, walking to Samantha's desk.

He helped her into coat and tugged her hair gently from where it was tucked inside the dark material. She offered him a small smile and brushed her lips gently over his. "Now I am."

He linked his hand in hers and led her out of the bullpen behind Danny and Elena.

"What were you looking at on the computer all day?" Sam asked as they stepped outside. The cool air hit her skin instantly causing her to shiver involuntarily. Martin dropped her hand and wrapped his arm tightly around her shoulders, feeling her head rest softly in the crook of his neck.

"A new apartment. Me and Brady looked all over the city this weekend and didn't find anything, so I just thought I'd see what's listed on the internet."

"Really?" She lifted her head to meet his eyes.

"Yeah. It's time I find my own place."

"I don't know if you're interested, but I heard Danny say the other day that someone in his building was moving out. I've been over there a few times, and it's a really nice place. Maybe you could ask him about it." She suggested.

"I'll definitely do that." He commented pressing a soft kiss into her hair. They arrived at the restaurant a few moments later and followed the Latino colleagues inside. They were led to a small table at the back of the room. The four sat themselves around the table, easy conversation settling between them. "Hey, Taylor." Martin started.

"What's up?"

"Sam was telling me that you're building has an apartment opening up."

"Yeah, what about it? You interested?" Danny asked, resting his hand lightly over Elena's on the table.

Martin smiled, feeling Samantha's hand resting gently on his thigh. "Yeah, I'm interested. I need a new place. I've gotta get out of my brother's apartment."

"Ah, comprendo, amigo." He nodded as the waiter arrived and took their orders. "You should come by this weekend and look at it. I'll talk to the super and see if anyone has taken it yet. But I'm pretty sure it's still available."

"Alright. Thanks. Where's it at?"

"It's just a few blocks down from Sam's. Come out of her building, turn left, go four blocks, cross the street and you're there." Danny explained with a crooked grin.

"You live in the place with the red awning out front?" Martin asked.

"Home sweet home." He replied.

"Well, I'll be sure to stop by this weekend." His eyes focused on Sam, seeing a small smile settle on her lips. "What are you smiling about?"

Her deep brown eyes met his in the dim light of the restaurant. "You." He leaned towards her and kissed her briefly. "You make me really happy, Marty."

"You have no idea how happy you make me, Sam." He responded with a cheeky smile. He pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear before pressing his lips to hers softly, oblivious to the smirks resting on the faces of their friends.

"Why aren't you ever like that to me?" Elena questioned Danny with a pointed glare.

"Like what?"

"Sweet, romantic, caring, affectionate..."

"You mean you want me to be a wimp?" Danny smirked.

"You're impossible." Elena huffed.

He brushed his lips over her cheek before meeting her lips. "Yeah, but you still love me."

"I have no idea why." She countered, a smile pulling at the corner of her lips.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Could you get a TV that's a little bit bigger next time, so it'll be even more difficult to get it in the front door and up the stairs?" Brady asked, sarcasm dripping from every syllable. Martin was moving into Danny's building and had enlisted the help of his brother and friends to move in. The elevator in the building had unfortunately broken the week before, so Danny, Martin, and Brady resorted to climbing two flights of stairs with a brand new 72" television set.

"Hey Brady, when basketball season starts, don't even think about coming over here, okay?" Martin grumbled underneath the enormous cardboard box.

"I've been amazingly well behaved." Danny commented, weaving the set through the narrow stairwell. "Does that mean I get to come over when the Knicks' games are on?"

"Sure, man. As long as you don't bring Elena."

"What? Why not?" He squeaked out, momentarily trapped against the wall by the television set.

"Because she always talks during the game. I can't enjoy the game when there's a woman yapping in my ear." Martin explained, maneuvering the box around a corner. "If she was talking about the game or the players I might could stand it."

"Whatever, dude. Samantha and Viv talk just as much as Elena does, and you've never had a problem with watching a game with them." He countered feeling their movement suddenly come to a halt. "Um, guys... why are we stopped. I'm balancing a very heavy box here." He peeked over the top of the TV, trying to catch a glimpse of the other two men.

Martin chanced a quick glance at his brother to find his brown eyes set firmly on him. His expression was unreadable and Martin felt very uneasy under his steely glare.

"Brady, it's nothing. We work together. It's only natural that we spend time together." Martin reasoned, butterfies erupting in the pit of his stomach.

This scenario had run through his mind several times over the past few weeks, and in none of those scenarios did things turn out well for Martin. Of all the possibilities, being pushed down a stairwell hadn't crossed his mind. Now, though, it seemed very probable.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Brady's face softened and he nodded. "I know. Sorry, I overreacted. The wounds are still fresh, I suppose." He smiled.

"I understand, but I guess I should warn you that she's coming over later. She and Elena are bring lunch over and are going to help paint later."

"That's fine. I'm fine."

"Hey guys... since everything's cleared up now, can we get moving? My arms are burning." Danny pleaded, shifting the box in his grasp.

"Oh yeah! Sorry, man. We're almost there."

The three men climbed the last flight of stairs, arriving at Martin's open apartment door. They positioned the box so that it would fit through the door and eased it inside. A small table was already situated along the wall for the TV to rest on, so they removed it from the box and set it on the vacant table before collapsing on the floor.

"Please never ask me to help you 'pick up a few things' anymore. Okay?" Danny groaned, propping himself up against the wall adjacent to the brothers.

"You know when I said you could come over and watch the Knicks' games? I take it all back." Martin laughed wiping a thin layer of sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of the purple NYU shirt he wore.

Brady mimicked his movements, wiping his face with his shirt sleeve. "I'm hungry. When is the food getting here?"

"I hope sometime soon. I skipped breakfast this morning."

"Martin Fitzgerald skipped a meal? I am shocked!" Danny gasped jokingly.

"Yeah, yeah. Like you have any room to talk. You eat just as much as I do, Taylor."

The sound of approaching footsteps got their attention, and moments later Sam and Elena entered the apartment, bags of takeout in tow. "Okay, boys. We've got Chinese and pizza. Come and get it." Elena announced, setting boxes of steaming hot food on the kitchen counter.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Danny spoke, jumping up and jogging into the kitchen.

Martin followed suit, pushing himself up off the floor and went into the kitchen. "Something smells good." He commented, looking through the assorted boxes of Chinese food.

"It does." Braddy added, coming into the room, but standing away from the group. "Hey Samantha, Elena." He greeted the women with a shy smile.

Elena waved before grabbing a slice of pizza from the box.

"It's good to see you again." Sam replied honestly. Brady was a good guy, and she truly missed getting to spend time with him. "How have you been?"

"Fine." He answered shortly, forcing a smile to stay on his face. He took a slice of pizza from the box as well then retreated to the empty living room.

"Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." She told Martin quietly, spooning out some noodles and chicken onto a plate. "Have you gotten anything accomplished this morning?" She asked, gesturing around the empty space.

"We got the TV and refrigerator in, and that's all that matters." He smirked. "We would've gotten more done, but Danny didn't decide to come over until nearly 10:30, and me and Brady couldn't so much on our own."

The two of them followed Danny and Elena into the living room, sitting around the wooden coffee table along with Brady.

"In my defense, you told me to come over as soon as I could. If you don't give someone a specific time, then you can't complain when that someone arrives later than you wanted."

"So it's all my fault?"

"Exactly. I'm glad you think so too." He answered with a crooked smile.

"Yeah, well now you'll just have to come over tomorrow to help move in the rest of my things."

"No way, man. I said I'd help Saturday, not Sunday too." He groaned through a mouthrul of pizza.

"You'll get over it." Sam said, clearing away their empty plates. "Besides, I helped you move all your stuff when you changed apartments, so don't whine."

"Back to work, men." Martin clapped his hands together, looking around his practically empty apartment.

"Ahem." Elena smirked, gesturing between herself and Samantha.

"And ladies." He corrected. "And thanks for coming over to help. I have no idea why a grown man would paint his bedroom lime green, but who am I to judge the previous tenant." He smiled.

"Well, after today, the room will be a manly shade of blue." Sam replied, holding up a paint swatch. "Is this color okay?"

He took the paper from her and went into the bedroom. Currently the walls were so bright he swore it would glow in the dark. He held the swatch against the wall, seeing the color in his mind. "I think it'll look great." He smiled.

For the first time that day, he was alone with her and took the opportunity to press his lips gently against her temple and then her lips. "Hi." She spoke softly, running a hand down his chest.

"Hi." He brushed his lips over hers once more before pulling away. "I need to get back in there before Danny tries to escape." He stepped into the hallway nearly running into Elena. "If we get finished anytime soon, I'll come back here and help you ladies." He smiled, walking back into the room and whispering in Samantha's ear. "By the way, you look really sexy in those shorts." His blue eyes wandered from her face, to her long legs, pausing momentarily at the area of exposed flesh on her abdomen.

"Oh yeah?" She asked with a wide grin.

"Oh yeah." He responded huskily causing a deep blush to cover her cheeks. "Okay, I'm really going this time."

She slapped his rearend playfully, pushing him into the hallway. "Get to work, cowboy."

"Cowboy?" Elena laughed as Martin disappeared into the living room. "I do not want to hear the story behind that one."

Samantha smiled as she opened a can of paint and pulled a brush from the plastic bag on the floor. "Let's get started. I'm ready to get this over with."

"I'm sure you are, cowgirl." Elena quipped spreading paint over the bright green wall.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21:

"So how do you like your new place?" Samantha asked as she, Danny, Elena, and Martin sat watching the new television, having just finished painting and moving in Martin's things.

"I love it." He answered taking an appreciative look around his home. "Thanks for helping today, guys. I never would've gotten all of this done on my own."

The five of them had worked well into the afternoon cleaning, painting, assembling, and anything else that needed to be done. Brady left around four o'clock to shower and change for his date with Jennifer that night leaving the four agents to finish the work.

"Hey, Fitz why don't you fix us up something to eat? I'm starving." Danny spoke, never pulling his eyes away from the basketball game on TV.

Martin laughed, settling further into the couch and wrapping an arm around Samantha's shoulder. "Well, I don't have any groceries yet, so I guess you'd better go back to your place if you're that hungry."

"What kind of host are you?" He gaped from his seat on the floor. Elena leaned forward in the recliner, slapping him playfully on the top of the head. "Okay, okay. I'll just get a slice of leftover pizza."

"Bring me something to drink while you're in there." Sam shouted unmoving from her place beside Martin.

"Who do you think I am? You're man is sitting right beside you, and his legs aren't broken." Danny quipped sarcastically, emerging from the kitchen with a slice of pizza and bottle of water. "But since he obviously doesn't know how to treat a woman, I'll give him a little demonstration. See, Marty boy, when a lady says that she's thirsty, you pick your lazy butt up off the couch, walk into the kitchen, and get her something to drink." He smirked, tossing the bottle of water to Samantha. "Simple as that."

"Whatever, man. I know how to treat a woman. You've mistaken being a gentleman with common courtesy." Martin defended.

"Oh yeah? How's that?" He countered, tossing Martin a skeptical glance.

He smiled widely at Danny, his eyes turning a brighter shade of blue. "Ah Grasshopper, the Master never reveals his secrets."

::::

"We've got one." Samantha announced the next day, walking into the bullpen and placing the picture of a teenage girl onto the whiteboard. "Jack's coming in a few minutes to give us all the details."

"Who is she?" Elena asked for all of them stepping over to the conference table.

"Melanie Davis." Jack answered joining the team at the table. "She's been missing since sometime late Saturday night."

"It's Monday. Why didn't anyone call it in sooner?" Martin questioned, looking over the blonde hair, blue eyed teen's picture.

The SAC let out a long sigh. "Apparently she has a history of running off, but the parents say she usually comes back the next day. They haven't seen or heard from her since Saturday afternoon, and they called around to her friends and none of them have spoken to her either supposedly. Sam, you and Danny go to her home in Long Island. Martin and Viv, I need you to go see her friend, Leah Matthews. Last time she ran away, that's where she was staying. Her picture will run on the news tonight, so I need you to man the phones for any possible leads." He nodded his head in Elena's direction. "Let's get to work."

The team scattered, preparing for a long day ahead.

::::

The Davis' home was situated in a typical suburban neighborhood complete with a white picket fence and giant Golden Retriever. Danny knocked on the door, coming face to face with the tear stained cheeks of Melanie's mother. "Mrs. Davis, I'm Special Agent Danny Taylor. This is Special Agent Samantha Spade. We're with the FBI."

"Please, come in." She managed to say.

Samantha could tell from the woman's appearance that she was absolutely terrified about where her daugher could have possibly gotten off to. Her slightly graying, blonde hair was collected in a messy bun. Looking closely, she could see the remnants of makeup on her face, and her eyes were puffy and red. "Michael is in his office calling everyone we know." Mrs. Davis spoke, attempting to wipe her moist eyes dry. "I'll tell him you're here. Make yourselves comfortable." She gestured to the empty living room and disappeared into a room that Samantha assumed was the office.

The living room was filled with pictures of Melanie as she grew up. She was a beautiful girl. Samantha hoped that that didn't have anything to do with her disappearance.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Mr. Davis apologized, entering the room with his wife close behind.

"It's no problem." Danny assured the two of them. "We just need to ask you a few questions."

"Of course."

"When was the last time you saw your daughter?"

"Around four o'clock Saturday." Sarah Davis answered, running a hand over her tired face. "She stayed in her room nearly all day, but she left that afternoon to meet some friends at the mall, or at least that's what she said."

"Which friends?" Samantha asked, writing the information down quickly as Mrs. Davis spoke.

"I don't know for sure, but Leah doesn't have a driver's license yet, so she usually catches a ride with Melanie. Maybe she knows something."

"Thank you both. We'll call if we have anymore questions." Danny answered, standing and leading Sam out of the Davis' home.

"Please call us whenever you hear anything." Sarah pleaded, tears threatening to fall once again.

"We will." Samantha commented. "Try not to worry. We're doing everything we can to find your daughter."

Mrs. Davis nodded, attempting a weak smile. The two agents left the house and headed back to the Bureau. The parents didn't know much about their daughter's possible whereabouts. Sam could only hope that Martin and Viv learned something useful from Leah Matthews.

::::

"We got nothing." Danny announed entering the bullpen later that day. Martin and Viv had already returned and Elena was still fielding phone call after phone call. "The parents last saw her around four o'clock Saturday afternoon, and all they know is that she was going to meet some friends."

"We didn't get much either." Viv began. "She picked up Leah as usual on the way to the mall. They stayed there for a couple of hours with a few other girls from school. Then, Melanie dropped her off at home later that night."

Elena slammed the phone down, rolling her chair over to the conference table. "The only sightings of Melanie Davis were from people at the mall on Saturday."

"So basically we still know absolutely nothing." Samantha concluded joining Elena.

Martin shrugged, falling into his deskchair. "Well, we know some things, but none of them are relevant." Samantha rolled her eyes playfully. "Hey, I'm just trying to see the glass half full here."

"Well, please stop." She laughed. "You're optimism never ceases to amaze me."

"I'll take that as a compliment." He flashed her a big smile, dimples and all, before turning back to his computer to continue chasing down leads.

Samantha pulled her gaze away from him getting back to her work as well. Leave it to Martin to make her smile while in the middle of a case. He always seemed to be able to do that, professionally and personally. She glanced up to find Danny's eyes glued on her with his usual smirk playing on his features.

"What?"

"I've never seen you act like such a girl." He quipped, pointing out her bright red cheeks. "You've a pretty big thing for Marty, huh?" He whispered. He was happy to finally see Sam happy. It wasn't something he was used to seeing. Not that she was a miserable soul, she just never seemed to be truly content with her life. He couldn't be happier for her now that things were finally falling into place.

"Yeah. I guess I do." She answered quietly through a wide smile, catching Martin's eyes with her own. For the first time in a long time, she felt truly happy.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22:

"Jack" Samantha began, walking into Jack's office "I just got a call from one of Melanie's friends. He told me that Melanie went over to his house after dropping her friend off, and they got into his parents' liquor cabinet."

"Okay." He removed his glasses, his brow wrinkled in confusion. "So, what are you thinking?"

"I think she tried to drive home and didn't make it." The agent explained. "Her house is less than a mile away, Jack. I think we should canvas the area, look for the car." She paused, seeing the skepticism on his face. "Look, I know it's a stretch, but I think we may actually find something."

"Take Martin and Danny. I'll have Elena call Long Island PD, let them know you're coming."

"Thank you, Jack." She turned on her heel, walking quickly into the bullpen. "Let's go boys."

"Where are we going?" Danny asked, jumping up, pulling on his suit jacket.

"Long Island. Melanie left a friend's house last night after quite a few drinks. We're going to canvas the area between their houses. See if we can find anything."

Samantha grabbed her notebook and badge and led Martin and Danny out of the office.

:::::

"I think I see something!" Martin shouted, shining his flashlight into the dark area below a small bridge not far from the Davis' house. "I'm going down to take a look." He told Sam as she approached.

He climbed down the steep embankment slowly, careful not to trip over any limbs or roots. He reached the bottom of the hill, his suspicions confirmed. Melanie's car was crumpled in a small patch of trees. It looked bad, that's for sure. He walked closer to the car and peered into the foggy driver's side window.

There she was. Hunched down in the seat, she looked either asleep or dead. He shined the flashlight through the window and was happy to see her head spin around to face him. "She's alive!" He shouted to the agents at the roadside. He pulled on the door handle, but it didn't budge. Martin pushed some branches away from the door before trying again, pulling more forcefully the next time. The door swung open to reveal a badly bruised Melanie.

"My name is Martin Fitzgerald. I'm with the FBI. Where are you hurt?" He asked in a soothing voice, trying to calm her down a bit.

"My legs." Her voice came out just above a whisper. "I think they're broken. I can't move."

"It's okay. We're gonna get you out of here." Just then, a team of paramedics made it down the embankment, joining him at the car. They looked Melanie over as best they could before removing her gently from the car and carrying her to the waiting ambulance.

Martin climbed the steep hill up to the road, rejoining his colleagues who were calling Jack as well as the Davises.

"How is she?" Sam asked, flipping her phone shut and slipping it in her coat pocket.

"As well as can be expected, I guess. She broke both legs and has a lot of bruising to her chest and face. All in all, she's a really lucky girl. I don't know how she survived a crash like that." Martin answered, running a hand over his face.

"Jack wants us back at the office. We're done here." Danny stated, walking back to the car with the other two close behind.

:::::

A few days had passed since Melanie Davis was found, and Martin and Samantha were at his apartment, enjoying a quiet night in.

"So I guess Thanksgiving's a no." Martin spoke, poking through a carton of Chinese food.

Samantha shifted on the couch, resting her head on his shoulder. "It's not that I don't want to spend the holiday with you. I just don't think it's a good idea." Her hand rested on his thigh, running her fingers over the material of his pajamas. "It's only been a few months since Brady and I broke up. Don't you think it's too soon?"

"Yeah. I know it is. I'm tired of hiding it though, you know?" He set the carton on the coffee table, wrapping both arms around her. "And it doesn't help that my mom keeps trying to set me up."

"Oh really?" Sam questioned with a smile.

"Yes, really." He returned her smile. "I keep turning her down though, and I think she's starting to get the impression that I'm gay."

"You? Gay?" She laughed.

"Yes. The last time she called she kept asking if I had something I needed to tell her, something personal." He mimicked his mother's voice, grinning widely.

"I don't blame her. I kind of thought you were at first." Sam replied seriously.

He jerked his head to the side, catching the slight trace of a smile on her face. "No you didn't." He smirked. "You thought I was the sexiest man you'd ever seen and that I was, without a doubt, God's gift to women."

"I think you've confused my thoughts with your own, Martin."

"And I think you're just in denial."

:::::

The day before Thanksgiving, Martin drove himself to his parent's home in Washington. As much as he wanted Sam to join him, they both agreed that it was too soon to reintroduce her to the Fitzgerald family. Of course, he was excited to see his family again, but he couldn't help but feel a little down without that all too familiar blonde beside him. She was spending Thanksgiving Day with Danny and Elena, and Friday she had to work. Saturday, he would be driving back home, and they planned on spending the rest of the day together.

He arrived at the house late in the afternoon and noticed that both his sister and brother were already there. He parked his car behind Brady's before removing his bag from the backseat and going inside. Laughter erupted from the living room as he made his way down the long hallway. Brady, Rebecca, his parents, and Jennifer were settled on the sofa and chairs around the room.

"I see you all waited for me." Martin announced with a smile, dropping the bag at his feet.

His mother jumped up from her seat and rushed over to him, enveloping him in a tight hug. "Martin, dear, it's so good to see you." She led him further into the room by the hand, taking it upon herself to introduce him to Brady's new girlfriend.

"It's nice to meet you." Jennifer spoke, shaking his outstretched hand.

"Likewise." He smiled, plopping down on oversized chair beside Rebecca. "How is everyone?"

"We're all just peachy, Marty." His sister answered for the group, glancing at him appraisingly. "How is everything with you?"

"Good. Work is great. I love the unit I'm working with, and I just got a new apartment. I'm doing really well."

"That's wonderful." Emily Fitzgerald commented, smiling widely at her son. "Are you making new friends in New York, dear?"

A light chuckle escaped his lips. "Yes, mom. I've made a lot of new friends."

"Yeah, you already know one of them." Brady added with a fake smile plastered on his face. "He works with Samantha."

"You do?" Rebecca asked, her curiosity suddenly peaked.

Martin nodded, feeling a small smile make its way onto his face just thinking about her. He forced the smile away, choosing instead to focus on his fingernails.

"She seems like such a lovely girl. How is she?" His mother asked, taking a sip from her glass of water.

"Fine. She's spending Thanksgiving with some friends from the unit." He answered, making a quick glance in Brady's direction. His attention was on his girlfriend, but Martin could see the hurt clouding his brown eyes. The wounds weren't completely healed, that's for sure, but he wasn't hurting nearly as bad as he was to begin with.

"Who is Samantha?" Jennifer wondered innocently, looking to each member of the family.

Before anyone could answer, Martin's ringing cell phone pulled him from what was sure to be an awkward conversation. _Speak of the devil_. He thought glancing at the caller ID. "I've gotta take this. I'll just be outside."

He made sure the front door was shut before answering the phone. "Hey."

"Hey." Her voice brought a toothy grin to his face. "How's it going?"

"It's alright. We were just talking about you."

"That can't be good."

He chuckled into the phone. "Actually it's not what you think. Brady told my mom that we work together, and she started asking me about you. She thinks you're a lovely girl."

"A lovely girl?"

"Her words, not mine. I honestly don't see it but..."

"Hey mister! You better watch what you say." She warned him playfully. "I may not be able to reach you right now, but I will get you later."

"Oh no. I am terrified." He deadpanned, eliciting a short laugh from her. A short silence settled between the two of them, and Martin could envision her curled up on her couch with a book laying open in her lap and a glass of wine on the coffee table. "I miss you, Sam."

"I miss you, too." She replied through a yawn.

"Is my voice putting you to sleep?" He joked, feeling a bit sleepy himself.

"It sounds that way, doesn't it?" Samantha laughed, attempting to suppress another yawn.

He felt the corners of his mouth pull upwards, listening to her feeble efforts at fighting off sleep. "Go to sleep, Sam. The drool is going to ruin your phone."

"Ha. Ha. Have a good time with your family."

"I'll try. Tell Danny and Elena 'hi' for me."

"I will."

"Goodnight."

"Night, Marty."

He ended the call and slipped the phone back into the pocket of his jeans. It was going to be a long, hard few days without her.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23:

"So how long has it been?" Rebecca asked, cornering Martin in the kitchen the next morning.

He took a long sip of his coffee before glancing up at her. "How long has what been?" He countered, knowing full well what she meant.

"How long have you and Samantha been together? And don't even try to lie to me Martin because I know that you two are more than friends and colleagues."

He let out a deep sigh meeting his sister's eyes. He should've known that he couldn't hide the truth from her. They'd always been close growing up, he and Rebecca. The two of them had a deeper understanding of one another than either of them had ever had with Brady. Rebecca could always tell what was going on in Martin's head and had no problem confronting him about it. This time was no different. Of course, she'd want to know about his new relationship.

And if Martin was entirely honest with himself, he was glad they were so close. Having someone like his sister to talk to, to confide in was a difficult thing to find. She had helped him through more things than he could think of over the years even though she'd done her fair share of meddling at his expense as well, but deep down he knew that she only had his best interests at heart. And as far as Samantha was concerned he knew his sister would only offer her opinion if he asked for it.

"Almost four months." He finally answered, setting his empty coffee mug in the sink. The corners of his mouth curved upwards, her blonde hair and brown eyes consuming his thoughts.

"And?"

"And what? We really hit it off when Brady brought her here, and we've only gotten closer since I moved to New York." He paused, seeing her face change ever so slightly. "Becks, nothing happened while she was with Brady. Honestly."

"Then why are you hiding it?" She asked softly.

"Why do you think? If Brady knew I was with her, he'd... I don't know, either castrate or kill me."

Rebecca stayed quiet for several moments, looking him over. She was reading him like an open book. Butterflies erupted in his stomach as he waited for his sister to make some sort of response. He would never admit it, but he had always wanted her approval on the decisions he made, and choosing to date one of Brady's ex-girlfriends was undoubtedly one of the biggest decisions he'd made recently.

"He'd definitely castrate you." She finally said, forcing back a smile. "I understand your not telling him, but the longer you wait, the harder it's going to be you know?"

"Yeah, I know, but what do you suggest I do, Becks? I can't just throw something like that out there. 'Hey, Brady. I like your shirt, and by the way, I'm dating Samantha. You know, the woman that you proposed to a few months ago. She said no and broke your heart. Yeah, that's the one.'"

"Martin, I can't pretend to know how you should tell him, but you can't keep putting it off."

"Why not? I was thinking I'd tell him sometime after the wedding. Or maybe after we have a kid." He replied jokingly.

"A wedding and a kid, huh? You planning that far ahead already?"

Martin rolled his eyes walking out of the kitchen and into the family room. "Shut up. I'm going for a run."

"Don't think this conversation's over Marty." She shouted, sitting down at the kitchen table and flipping open the newspaper. "What am I going to do with that boy?" Rebecca muttered to herself, unable to keep the grin away as she remembered the starry-eyed expression on her brother's face. [i]_He's falling hard and fast._[/i]

:::::

"Hey, hotstuff." Danny announced swinging open the front door Thanksgiving Day, leading Samantha inside. Elena was finishing up on dinner, and her mother was busy setting the table. Danny had told her that 'a few' of Elena's cousins would be stopping by, but she was sure that at least twenty people were crammed into his apartment, all of them laughing and talking loudly. Her Spanish skills were definitely not up to par for this type of gathering.

"Hey. I didn't know this many people were gonna be here."

"Me neither. Apparently Elena's mother invited all of them over to meet the new man in her daughter's life." He quipped, winking at her playfully.

"I'm sure if that was the case, they would've all left by now."

"Ouch, Spade. That one almost hurt me."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going to hurt you if you don't get in here and help me with all of this." Elena appeared in the doorway, her pointed glare nearly burning holes into Danny.

"On my way, dear." He spoke before rushing into the kitchen behind his girlfriend.

Glancing around the crowded space, Samantha didn't recognize anyone but Elena's daughter Sophie, and she'd only spoken her a few times. Her thoughts wandered to Martin as she disappeared into the bedroom down the hall. She appreciated Danny's offer to spend Thanksgiving with him but felt more than a little out of place.

She pulled out her cell phone and noticed a text message from Martin earlier in the morning. _We've been discovered._

An involuntary shiver rushed down her spine, a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. Since she had a moment of quiet, she decided to give him a call.

Her fingers dialed his number as if on autopilot, and after a few seconds, he answered slightly out of breath."Hello?"

"Hey."

"Hey beautiful. What's up?"

"Hiding in Danny's bathroom. About twenty of Elena's relatives are here." She smiled hearing his heavy breathing over the phone. "What are you doing? You sound like you're out of breath."

"I am. I thought you might call, so I took my phone when I went out for my morning run."

"That was a good idea. You should be in law enforcement." She joked, eliciting a soft chuckle from him.

"I hear the hours are terrible." He retorted.

"Yeah, but the benefits are pretty good."

He laughed again and the sound brought a smile to her lips. "Did you get my message?"

"Yes, I did. It made me a little nervous."

"A little?" Martin questioned and she could hear the smile in his voice. "I bet you've been chewing your lip ever since you read it."

"Nuh uh." She countered, letting her bottom lip loose from where it was held between her teeth. "Anyway, what's the message about?"

"Rebecca figured us out. Somehow in the twenty minutes she's spent with me since I've been in DC she's figured out that we're dating."

Samantha sighed anxiously, hoping his sister was accepting of her and their relationship. "What'd she say?"

"Not much. Just that I need to quit putting off the inevitable and tell Brady the truth. I can't lie to him forever."

"No, I guess not."

"I think she's happy for me though." He continued. "If she wasn't, she would've given me an earful about it this morning."

"Is that so?"

"Yes." Martin answered with a laugh. "Rebecca is very vocal about how she feels."

Samantha released a short laugh as well. "I remember that about her."

"Anyway, I should go. I'm almost to the house. I'll call you later tonight."

"Okay, I'll talk to you then."

"Hey, Sam..."

"Yeah?"

"Try to have a good time today, okay?" His voice was soft and gentle. She could feel the concern in his tone as he spoke, he was worried about her.

She willed herself to be strong, to sound happy. "I will."

He paused a second, seeming to analyze her words, listening for any hint of unhappiness in her voice. "Alright. Well, I'll talk to you later, Sam."

"Bye, Marty."

Disconnecting the call, she decided to rejoin the group in the living room for lunch. If at all possible, the conversation was even louder. She fixed herself a plate of food and sat quietly amongst Elena's relatives, focusing her attention on her food instead of the two cousins bombarding her with pick up lines. _'It's going to be a long day.' _She thought, excusing herself and escaping into the vacant kitchen.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24:

Dinner with the family was amazingly well for Martin. His father was quiet as usual while his mother chatted on about anything and everything. He'd managed to avoid talking about his love life, with a little help from Rebecca of course, for the entire meal despite his mother's none too subtle prodding.

Thankfully, Brady seemed to be in a great mood and had spent the majority of his time whispering in Jennifer's ears eliciting soft giggles and wide grins from her. Things definitely were improving in his life, and Martin couldn't be happier. Soon all the secrets would stop, and he would be able to show his family that he was happy too. Soon.

"Earth to Martin." Rebecca spoke, snapping her fingers at him. "You've been staring at your peas for the past ten minutes. You okay?"

He nodded, looking up with the tiniest of smiles on his face. "I'm fine, just thinking."

His sister continued to stare at him expectantly, waiting for the rest of his explanation. 'I'm fine' had never been a suitable response in her opinion.

"Really, Becks. It's nothing. I just miss Sa--" He stopped, her name on the tip of his tongue. "I miss New York." He corrected himself. In that moment he realized just how quiet the room had become. His entire family had chosen those few seconds to focus their attention on Martin. A knowing smile was on his sister's face, and he noticed one beginning to form on his mother's lips as well. Victor looked mildly curious, no doubt wondering why all of the attention was suddenly on his youngest son. Martin's eyes swept over the occupants of the table, coming to rest on Brady.

The look on his brother's face was absolutely unreadable. The hand that had been resting over his girlfriend's on the table, dropped heavily into his lap. He cast a sidelong glance at his younger brother, and Martin could practically see the wheels turning in his head.

Blood pumped furiously through his veins as he felt anxiety build within him. Breathing had never felt so difficult as it did in those long, quiet minutes, and Martin was sure that he had never been more uncomfortable in his entire life than he was under his family's unwavering scrutiny.

"Well son, you'll be back in New York in no time." Victor said, breaking the awkward silence.

"What were you going to say?" Brady asked, his tone only increasing Martin's uneasiness.

His mouth dropped open, but no words escaped his mouth. His eyes shifted over to Rebecca, silently pleading for her to come to his rescue. Her hand covered her mouth, an obvious sign of her discomfort, and her green eyes held nothing but remorse. Her questioning had accidently brought on Martin's near admission, and it was plain to see that she wanted nothing more than to take it all back, but the deed had been done. The cat was out of the bag, and Martin wanted nothing more than to shove it back in.

"Martin, what were you going to say? And don't even think about lying to me. I think you've done enough of that for the past few months." He spat, pointing his finger accusingly at his brother.

"Brady..." Emily Fitzgerald began.

Brady's furious brown eyes never left Martin as he spoke. "No, mom. I want him to say it. I want him to admit that he's sleeping with her, with the whore that broke my heart."

At that comment, all Martin's anxiety disappeared, replaced with hurt and anger. "She is not a whore. Don't you ever call her that again."

"Why not? It's what she is!" He snapped, jumping from his seat. "I can't believe you."

Martin stood from his chair quickly, toppling it over in the process. "I can't believe you! Here you are with your new girlfriend, telling everyone how much you love her and want to be with her, yet you still can't get over Samantha."

"I wouldn't have to get over her if it weren't for you. You're the reason she said no. You're the reason we broke up!" Brady shouted, shoving Martin backwards forcefully. "You know what? You can have her. She's not even worth it."

Anger flared in Martin once again and he couldn't contain it any longer. His fist collided with Brady's jaw before he had any chance to react. Another punch landed squarely on his brother's eye, and blood trickled slowly from the impact. Victor rushed to pull the two apart, but not before Brady made contact with Martin's cheek, sending a painful throbbing into every nerve in his cheek.

"Cut it out! This is absolutely ridiculous, and I will not tolerate it in my house. Do you understand me?" Victor scolded them. Flashbacks of similar incidents from his childhood came to his mind as Martin nodded silently. Although a terrible headache was beginning to form, he felt a weight lifted from his shoulders. Everyone knew. No more lying. No more secrets.

A smile instantly made its way to Martin's lips. He was falling in love with a woman, and now he didn't have to hide it.

"What are you smiling at?" Victor snapped, still furious with his fully grown sons fighting over a woman.

He continued to smile, his eyes wandering over each of his family members. "Samantha is my girlfriend. And I'm pretty sure I'm falling in love with her."

His mother and sister mirrored his smile while Victor's brow wrinkled at his admission before softening and giving his son an understanding nod. Brady stared quietly into oblivion, trying to come to terms with the fact that his little brother was in a relationship with his ex-girlfriend.

"I just... I can't be here anymore." He finally said, stomping out of the room.

Jennifer's gaze was focused sadly on her lap. "I really thought we were happy." Came her soft voice.

Rebecca was the only Fitzgerald that attempted a reply. "This just opened a lot of old wounds for him, Jen. He just needs some time to get over it all. I'm sure things will be fine for you guys."

"I'm nothing more than a rebound relationship." She countered, lifting her tear-filled eyes.

"In all seriousness, before tonight he seemed to be truly happy with you. Don't give up on him just yet. He'll come around." She reasoned, patting Jennifer's shoulder gently. "I'm going to go talk to him."

Rebecca stood and walked quietly out of the room, following Brady outside. "Hey, junior. Mind if I join you?" She asked, sitting on the front steps beside him.

"I guess so."

Several minutes of silence passed between them before Brady spoke again. "Aren't you supposed to ask me how I'm feeling?"

"I figured you'd talk when you were ready." She answered. "So, how are you feeling?"

"I don't know. This is just so unexpected."

"Do you still love Samantha?"

Brady let out a short laugh. "You never did beat around the bush." He paused brushing a hand through his hair, trying to collect his thoughts. "I think part of me will always love her, but I'm not in love with her anymore. Does that make sense?"

"It makes perfect sense." Rebecca knocked her shoulder into his gently. "Then why are you so mad at Marty?"

"Honestly?" She nodded. "I had a feeling that something was going on. I just didn't want to believe it. It seems like Martin always gets what he wants, but nothing ever goes right for me. Why is that?"

"Martin doesn't always get what he wants. He just isn't afraid to go after something, and he never gives up. But there have been several times that things didn't go the way he wanted them to. I know that for a fact."

Brady turned his head, catching his sister's eyes. "I guess the worst part is that he didn't tell me the truth. I'd like to think that I would've at least paid him the courtesy of telling the truth to begin with."

"Would you really? It wasn't easy for him, you know? He didn't plan to fall in love with her, Brady. These things just happen sometimes. And he never wanted to hurt you. He was trying to protect you."

"Yeah well, look how much good that did."

"I think it did do you some good. Now you can move on with your life." Rebecca said, patting his thigh supportively. "Jennifer is a great girl. You shouldn't let something like this get in between the two of you."

"Yeah. She is great, but she probably doesn't want anything to do with me now."

"I don't know about that." She smiled. "I think she kinda likes you."

"Well, thanks for coming out here Becks. I'm feeling better, but I can't say it'll be easy for me to go back in there and act like everything is perfect."

"No one expects you to."

Brady nodded, smiling thankfully at his sister. He couldn't help but wonder why no one had snatched her up yet. She was truly an amazing woman. "I'm just gonna stay out here for a little while longer."

"Okay. I'll be inside if you need to talk."

Rebecca gave him a tight hug before standing and going back into the house. Everyone was still situated in the dining room. "He's going to be fine. He just needs some time alone." She explained sitting herself at the table.

Martin could feel their eyes boring holes into his skin before he ever chanced a glance at them.

"Thanks for having me Mom and Dad, but I think I'll grab my bag and head back to New York."

"That's not necessary, Marty." His mother countered, smiling affectionately at her son.

"Thanks, but I think it's best if I go." He rushed up the stairs and collected his things before reentering the dining room, Brady now seated with the rest of them. He kissed his mother and sister goodbye and shook his father's and Jennifer's hand, then stopped uncertainly at Brady. "I'll see you around, Brady." He told his brother before leaving the Fitzgerald home.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25:

It was nearly midnight when Martin made it to the city. His eyes were wide open, taking in the brightness of the city lights and the beauty of New York City's night skyline. It was truly the city that never sleeps. Driving the car towards his apartment, he could still see people roaming the streets and filling the neighborhood restaurants and clubs.

He parked his car in the lot near his apartment building and removed his bag from the backseat. Walking up the block towards his home, he couldn't help but think of Samantha just down the street. She was on call tomorrow, he knew, but he wanted to see her as soon as possible, and the weekend felt like an eternity away. His mind made up, he continued walking passed his building and towards Samantha's.

"Hey Gus. How's it going?" Martin asked the night guard, as he stepped inside her building.

"Pretty good, Mr. Fitzgerald. How are you?" The silver-haired man replied with a wide smile. The man was always smiling, and Martin made sure to speak to him whenever he saw him.

"Much better now. Have a good night." He answered stepping into the waiting elevator.

"You too, Mr. Fitzgerald."

He exited the elevator at her floor and made his way to her door. As suspected, the door was locked, but with the help of a credit card and a few well timed maneuvers on his end the door opened. He slipped into the darkness quietly and crept into her room.

Pausing at the slightly ajar bedroom door, Martin realized for the first time that she may not want him sneaking into her apartment in the middle of the night. Too late now.

He pushed the door open and walked further into her room. He dropped his bag by the door and stripped down to his boxers, but stalled before climbing into the bed. Her face was peaceful and serene, with a small smile resting on her lips. Blonde hair was spread across her pillow haphazardly, her body was turned facing the empty side of the bed, one arm stretched across the empty space.

Martin crawled into bed beside her, slipping underneath her arm. Running his fingers through her hair, she began to stir.

She felt the bed dip under his weight, the soft touches to her face and neck as her mind registered the warm body beside her. Her eyes opened slowly, instantly met with the sight of a tired, worn out Martin. "Martin?" She spoke sleepily, wiping at her eyes. Surely it wasn't him. He was supposed to be in Washington another day.

"I didn't mean to wake you. I just couldn't wait to see you." He answered quietly.

"How'd you get in?"

"I have my ways." He quipped, eliciting a small smile from her. "Go back to sleep. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Mmk." She mumbled through a yawn. "I'm glad you're home."

"Me too." He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Night Sam."

She rolled further into him, resting her head against his shoulder. His arms wrapped tightly around her, sleep beginning to overtake him as well. "G'night Marty."

:::::

Waking up late the next morning, Martin rolled onto his side watching the steady rise and fall of his girlfriend's chest. His eyes roamed over her slowly, taking in her blonde hair fanned out over the pillow, the small smile on her lips, the small area of exposed flesh above her pajama bottoms. His hand rested lightly on her hip, his thumb running softly over the milky white skin.

Slowly her eyes fluttered open, meeting his instantly. "You're staring." She stated, her voice heavy with sleep.

"How do you know?" He asked with a small smile.

"I just do."

He leaned down and pressed a slow, soft kiss to her lips. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you too." Her lips curved into a smile as attempted to smooth down his wayward hair. Her fingers trailed down his face, pausing over small bruise on his cheek. "What happened?"

He flashed her a shy smile before answering. "Are you awake?"

"Is that a trick question?" She countered, looking around dramatically. "This is my bedroom, right? And you are my boyfriend, aren't you?"

"Ha. Ha. I mean are you awake enough to engage in meaningful conversation?" He answered her dryly, tickling her sides.

"I'm awake, I'm awake." Samantha managed to say through a bout of laughter.

He took in a deep breath, collecting himself before delving into the subject of his family finding out about them. "Before I tell you this, I want you to know that I didn't intend to say anything. It just sort of slipped out."

"What slipped out?"

"My family knows that we're together." He sighed. "Rebecca just kept asking me about my life and what was wrong with me, and it just spilled out of me. I told her that I missed you."

"Oh." A hand ran nervously through her hair, and her bottom lip trapped itself in her teeth. "How'd that go?"

His hand slid up her side and arm before coming to rest in her hair. "Better than you'd think. A few harsh words were said and a few punches were thrown. Rebecca and my mom both seemed happy for me. My dad didn't say anything about it, not that I expected him to. And Brady was furious at first, but Rebecca went outside to talk to him, and he calmed down a bit. He'll be fine after awhile." Martin explained, combing his fingers through her hair soothingly. "How do you feel about all of this?"

"Well, a small part of me is scared of what your family thinks of me, but for the most part I'm relieved that we don't have to keep it a secret from them anymore."

"Me too." He agreed with a wide smile.

They remained lying together quietly for several minutes, Samantha absorbing the new information and Martin willing himself to admit his feeling to her. The fluttering in his stomach did nothing to calm his nerves as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Sam, I think I'm falling in love with you." His voice was soft but confident, his eyes locked on their entwined hands.

She lifted his head gently with her free hand, forcing his eyes to focus on hers. "I think I'm falling in love with you too." She said, her face lighting up as the words left her mouth.

His lips broke into a wide smile and his eyes seemed to brighten at her admission. He rolled his body further into her, his mouth covering hers simultaneously. When he finally pulled away, they were breathless but the smiles never left their faces. [i]_So this is what true happiness feels like._[i]Samantha thought taking in the moment, forever tucking it away in her memory. For the first time in a long time, she was completely happy.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26:

"You know, Sam. If you really liked Martin, you'd tell him how ridiculous he looks wearing that stupid Santa hat." Danny pointed out to her.

Christmas was merely days away, and Martin had taken it upon himself to decorate the bullpen with a Christmas tree and even ran a few strand of lights across the balcony. Stockings hung neatly at one end of the conference table with each member of the team's name printed across the top. Samantha had no idea when he'd had the time to have them made, but it was quite obvious that he'd put a great deal of effort into personalizing each of the decorations situated purposefully around the bullpen.

The Christmas spirit was practically radiating from him.

Samantha had never been much for celebrating when the holidays rolled around, especially without her family, but Martin's childlike enthusiasm was beginning to rub off on her.

She signed her report before answering with a smile. "I think it's cute."

"Cute? Are you kidding? Elena, tell Sam that the Santa hat looks ridiculous."

"I have to agree with Sam on this one. I've always had a fantasy about Santa." Elena replied, casting a look in Martin's direction.

"Hey, that's my Santa. Get your own." The blonde agent laughed, meeting Martin's eyes from across the room.

Finishing up his decorating, he made his way to the conference table to join the rest of the team. "What are you guys up to?" He asked, plopping down into the vacant seat beside Samantha.

The two female agents remained silent with smiles resting easily on their faces. Sam had never been one to fantasize about any man, especially not an overweight senior citizen who made a career sneaking in and out of peoples' homes once a year. Now though, seeing the bright red hat atop Martin's head, she couldn't seem to force the image of a toned, tanned Martin donning the bright red suit (with a few garments missing of course) from her mind.

"These two are discussing how cute you are in that hat. Those are their words not mine, by the way." Danny answered him.

"You're the one that pointed it out though." Sam pointed out sending Danny a playful grin. "Is there something you need to tell us?"

"Yeah, there is actually." He spoke, his voice soft and serious.

To say that she was nervous would be an understatement. Samantha's face fell along with her stomach which had suddenly erupted in butterflies. Glancing around the table, she saw her colleagues faces twisted in confusion as well.

Danny dropped his head, covering his face with his hands. "I just need a minute."

A few silent minutes passed between them, the tension growing each second.

Finally he lifted his eyes, letting his gaze wander over the three of them. He parted his lips to speak, when Sam noticed a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. "Nevermind." He said with his signature smirk. He jumped up quickly, leaving them behind wondering. "You'll figure it out."

Just as he disappeared into the breakroom, they figured out exactly what he'd done. The foul odor that was undeniably a product of Danny Taylor crept up on them before they even realized it. A chorus of 'eww' and 'gross' erupted from the three of them as they practically ran from the bullpen.

"I cannot believe he did that!" Sam shouted through the hand covering her mouth and nose.

"I can." Elena answered pinching her nose closed.

Although the female agents couldn't help but be disgusted, Martin on the other hand seemed to find the whole situation hilarious. Tears pooled in his eyes as laughter spilled out of him.

Danny slowly walked back into the bullpen with a giant grin on his face.

"Dude, that was a good one." Martin commented as his laughter began to die down.

He smirked at his friends, joining them at the conference table. "I thought you'd appreciate it."

After the excitement from Danny's 'incident' died down the four of them settled into easy conversation about plans for the upcoming holiday.

"So, what are you lovebirds planning on doing this Christmas?" Danny asked flashing a crooked grin in their direction.

"Um... We really haven't talked about it." Martin answered for them. He hoped Samantha would at least consider going to D.C. with him, but he hadn't found the courage to ask her yet. After all that happened over Thanksgiving he was scared to even consider it.

Martin wanted her there more than anything, but on the other hand he didn't want to cause anymore problems with Brady. They still hadn't spoken to one another, and to be completely honest, he wasn't looking forward to the inevitable confrontation. Surprisingly enough, his mother had told him to bring Sam over whenever they were in town, and Rebecca was eager to see her again as well.

The first step however was getting Samantha to agree to another trip to Washington. That would be a feat in and of itself he was sure.

"I'd like to see the Toland's and I probably need to go down and visit my parents and sister at some point." He continued, taking a quick glance in Sam's direction. She didn't seem phased by his comment at all and met his eyes with a small smile.

"That sounds nice, Martin. How 'bout you Sam. Any special plans?" Elena prodded.

"I'm not sure, but I'd like to think that I'll be spending most of my time with Martin."

A giant smile made its way onto his face. "Really?"

"Yes, really. Is that okay?"

"Are you kidding? It's fantastic!" He leaned over pressing a gentle kiss to her lips.

"Aww..." The Latina agent cooed leaning her head to rest on her boyfriend's shoulder. "You guys are so cute."

"Cute? I think the word you're looking for is nauseatingly sweet." Danny mumbled, earning him a swift slap to the chest. "Hey woman! Take it easy will ya? I was only kidding."

"Yeah right. Don't play that game with me mister. I know exactly what you meant." Elena smiled. "Now, take me to lunch."

"Yes ma'am."

Danny grabbed his coat after helping Elena into her's, and the two made their way out of the bullpen.

"How do we live with them?" Samantha asked jokingly after their friends disappeared down the hallway.

Martin laughed shaking his head at Danny's antics. "I have no idea."


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: Sorry this took so long. Hope you guys like it. Thanks for reading and reviewing.

Chapter 27:

"You sure you want to do this?" Martin asked pulling the car to a stop in front of his parents' home.

"It's a little too late to be asking me that now. Don't you think?" Samantha answered through a laugh. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

"Okay then. But you can't say I didn't give you a chance to back out."

He grabbed their bags from the backseat and led Sam to the front door. She entwined their fingers and smiled weakly at him, attempting to quell the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. Things were great between her and Martin, however standing at the Fitzgerald's front door once again she felt her anxiety beginning to grow. An eery sense of dejavu settled over her as memories from her previous trip to Washington rushed to mind.

Martin squeezed her hand gently before pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "Ready to do this again?"

Her mouth couldn't seem to formulate a response but the longer she stared into his bright blue eyes the calmer she felt. It had been nearly six months since she'd first met Martin and she continued to be amazed at the effect he seemed to have on her. No man, not even Brady, had ever come close to completely understanding her, but almost from the first time Martin laid eyes on her she knew he was different. He was the one.

She had always heard about the infamous 'one' but never really bought into the idea. Now though, she knew that she had found her _one_, her _better half_, her _soulmate_. Martin. No one else would ever be able to take the place he'd made for himself in her heart.

Seconds later the wooden door swung open, his sister stood opposite them with a wide smile on her face. "Hey you two. We were beginning to think you weren't going to show."

"I told you we might be late. It's not my fault you don't pay attention." Martin quipped, leading Sam over the threshold and into the family room.

"Martin! I'm glad you could make it." His mother practically squealed, rising from her seat and enveloping the two of them in a tight hug. "And Samantha it's wonderful to see you again." She added with what Sam hoped was a genuine smile.

"It's nice to see you too, Mrs. Fitzgerald. Thanks for having me." She replied, feeling Martin's arm slip around her waist instantly pulling the corners of her lips into a smile.

"Well, make yourselves at home. Brady and Jennifer aren't coming until tomorrow morning, so we planned to have a quiet night in tonight."

Martin adjusted the luggage strap on his shoulder, pulling Sam closer. "I'm just going to run our things upstairs." He pressed a gentle kiss into her hair before disappearing up the stairs.

"How was the trip, Samantha?" Emily asked with a pleasant smile. Sam couldn't believe how nice Martin's mother was being after all that had happened between her and the Fitzgerald boys. Anyone else would see her as nothing more than a homewrecking bimbo, but Emily was being nothing short of a hospitable host.

"It was actually pretty good. There weren't many people on the road today surprisingly."

"That is a surprise. I hoped you two wouldn't have any trouble getting down here with all of the holiday traffic." She commented walking into the sitting room, the younger women close behind.

"How have you two been?" Sam questioned Emily and Rebecca.

A content sigh left Rebecca's lips before she answered. "I've been wonderful."

"I know that look. You met someone."

"Who met someone?" Martin asked, coming to join his girlfriend on the sofa.

"I did. His name is Kevin and he's a really great guy."

Samantha couldn't repress a smile seeing the way Rebecca's face practically lit up. "What's he like?" She prodded, leaning forward a bit.

"Well, we met at the hospital about a month ago. He's a pediatrician, and he's gorgeous. Dark, almost black hair, emerald green eyes. He's so sweet but not in a 'make me wanna gag' way." The smile on her face reached all the way to her eyes, much like Martin's did at times. "He's planning on coming over tomorrow night, so you'll get to meet him."

"Good. I have to give him the interrogation all my sister's boyfriends deserve." He said with a sideways grin.

"Oh, Martin. You'll do nothing of the sort. Kevin is a very nice man, and you won't do anything to scare him." His mother stated. "Your father has tried hard enough as it is. I don't think he's planning on going anywhere anytime soon." She patted her daughter's knee gently, a small smile settled on her lips.

All the talk of Kevin had Rebecca's face practically glowing, and Martin couldn't have been happier for her. She was without a doubt one of the most amazing women he knew, and quite frankly he was amazed that she wasn't already married with a houseful of kids. Although, being a surgeon in one of the busiest hospitals in D.C. probably had a lot to do with it.

"So what's Kevin's last name?" Martin asked.

"Morgan." Rebecca answered giving him a pointed look. "And don't you even think about running a background check on him or calling a few buddies to tail him or whatever it is you do."

"Do you honestly think I would do something like that?"

"Yes." She quipped with a laugh. "It wouldn't be the first time."

Samantha met Martin's gaze and slapped him on the thigh. "You ran a background check on her boyfriends?"

"Hey! What was that for?" He whined rubbing his leg trying to ease the slight sting. His mother and Rebecca erupted in laughter seeing the playful fight between the two. "It was only once. And I had a bad feeling about him." Martin explained.

"Yeah, yeah. You just didn't like the way he looked."

"Can you blame me? The guy had more earrings than any man should every think about having and a skull tattooed on his neck."

"He was a really nice guy though. You just never took the time to get to know him." Rebecca reasoned.

"That's because he could crush me with his little finger."

The women burst into a fit of laughter at that, his mother giving a small nod in agreement. Once the noise died down, she left the room in search of something to make for dinner. Rummaging through the cupboards she found all the ingredients for spaghetti and set them on the kitchen counter.

"Need any help Mom?" Martin asked following his mother and leaning against the small island in the center of the kitchen.

"I think I've got everything under control. I'm making spaghetti. Is that okay with you?"

"Sounds great. I've been craving homemade pasta and garlic bread." He smiled, tearing open the package of noodles.

She turned from the stove where she had put a pot of water on to bowl. "Garlic bread! I knew I forgot something." An long sigh escaped her lips. "Would you mind running to the store and picking some up?"

"Sure. You know I can't eat spaghetti without your famous garlic bread." He smiled, pulling the car keys from his pocket. He left the kitchen making his way back into the living room, finding his sister and girlfriend still talking and laughing with one another. He spun the key ring on his finger, alerting the two of them to his presence. "I've gotta make a grocery run."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Sam asked, shifting on the sofa to face him.

"No, it's okay. I'll just be a few minutes."

"Good. Now I can get Rebecca to tell me all your embarrasing childhood stories." She smiled and gave his sister a wink.

"Oh no." He groaned before leaning over the back of the couch and pressing a slow kiss to Samantha's lips. "I'll be back shortly." He brushed his lips over her's once more then turned and left.

Traffic had picked up since he and Sam had arrived in D.C., making the usually short trip to the store twice as long.

"This is just great." He muttered quickly glancing at the time on the radio. He moved the car quickly in and out of lanes, leaving a trail of slower cars in his wake.

About a mile from his parents' home, an SUV in front of him blew a tire sending fragments into the air as it swerved dangerously out of control. Martin slammed the brakes, but it was too late. He was too close and driving too fast to avoid the vehicle careening through traffic.

The shattering of glass and squealing of tires nearly deafened him as the two cars collided. Everything was a blur. Pain registered in the back of his mind but disappeared along with every other feeling in his body.

All sounds faded and darkness surrounded him.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28:

Two hours. Martin had been in surgery for two hours. And for those incredibly long couple of hours, Samantha had nearly paced a hole in the waiting room floor while her mind attempted to process all that had happened. One minute they'd all been laughing and having a good time, and the next minute they were rushing to the hospital.

Thankfully, Rebecca was able to stay calm long enough to drive the three of them to the hospital where she worked, unlike her mother and brother's girlfriend who seemed incapable of any logical thought. From the moment they received the call from the paramedics, Samantha and Emily were walking train wrecks. Had Samantha been her normal self, she might have found that fact a bit ironic considering she dealt with life and death situations on a daily basis, but she wasn't herself. And this wasn't some random stranger. It was Martin.

Her Martin. The man who could make her laugh no matter how mad she was. The man with the bright blue eyes that could see straight through her. The man with a wide smile and sense of humor that melted her heart. The man she loved.

Now though he was lying unconcious in an operating room, doctors surrounding him, poking and prodding him. Rebecca appeared every now and then to update them on his condition, but Sam had trouble really focusing on what she was hearing. A shattered left tibia and fibula, dislocated hip, punctured lung from two broken ribs, and head trauma.

Simply hearing about Martin's injuries made her cringe. No one should have to go through something so terrible. The reconstructive surgeries for his leg would be bad enough but combined with the months and months or rehabilitation to endure afterwards, she knew he had a long, hard road ahead.

An unexpected tear slipped from her eye and rolled slowly down her cheek. Standing in the eerily quiet waiting room that reeked of that unique hospital scent, observing other people much like herself longing for their loved ones, stopping the stream of tears now pouring down her face seemed impossible. The harder she tried to stop them, the harder they fell.

She collapsed into a nearby chair, attempting to quell the gutwrenching sobs all the while knowing she wouldn't be able to until she saw him, until she knew he was okay.

Emily watched helplessly as the young woman struggled to control her tears. The tough exterior Samantha wore was slowly crumbling, exposing just broken she was. She wasn't sure if Samantha wanted comfort, but Emily Fitzgerald was not one to sit idly by, so she stood and made her way over to her son's girlfriend and placed a gentle hand on her back.

As soon as Sam felt the contact, a dam broke in her, releasing another violent wave of tears. Emily pulled her tightly to her chest, running a comforting hand over her back. "He's going to be okay. We have to believe that he'll be okay."

Hearing those soft words gave her a sense of hope. She had to be strong. She nodded into Emily's shoulder, the tears slowly subsiding. "He's going to be fine." She stated, her voice full of conviction. The statement was more for her own benefit than for Martin's mother, she knew that much, but simply saying it out loud made her feel more calm and at ease.

Rebecca reappeared sometime later with Martin's doctor in tow, finding that Samantha had fallen asleep on her mother's shoulder while Emily continued to rub soft circles over her back. Honestly she hated to disturb them, but she was certain that they'd want to know how Martin was doing. Her mother's head turned towards her, finally aware of their presence. Rebecca introduced the tall, slightly graying man as Dr. Ragan.

"How is he?" She asked quietly, never loosening her grip on Samantha.

"He's out of surgery." Dr. Ragan explained, his brown eyes full of concern. "We were able to set his leg and stop the bleeding in his chest. He's breathing on his own which is a good sign, but he's on oxygen just in case. There doesn't seem to be any brain damage, but we're running some more tests to be sure. All things considered, he's doing great." The doctor was called away by a young nurse, leaving the three of them alone.

"When can we see him?"

"They're moving him to a private room now. He's heavily sedated, so it will probably be morning before he wakes up. We can go to his room now though if you want." Her daughter answered, giving her a small smile that faded despite her attempt to keep it there. The seriousness of Martin's condition was beginning to get to her. Slowly but surely, her resolve was cracking and worry was beginning to seep into her veins.

Emily's free hand reached for her daughter's seeing the tears well in her light green eyes. "Sit with us for awhile. We'll go see him in a bit." Rebecca nodded, sliding down into the chair beside her mother still holding tightly to her hand.

Somehow sleep overtook each of them as they sat huddled together in the hospital waiting room. Concern for one man binding them together, the sadness disappearing as happier thoughts of Martin filled their dreams.

:::::

Martin was caught somewhere between conscious and unconscious. He was in a hospital, that much was certain. He could smell the undeniable hospital scent, hear the squeaky shoes of doctors and nurses running past his door and the steady beeping of the monitor to his left.

He tried to wake up, tried to open his eyes but was unsuccessful. Something was forcing him to sleep, keeping him calm, sedated. Morphine maybe. He'd been under it's influence before and the effects were unmistakeable.

Minutes, hours ticked by slowly. He wasn't sure how long it was that he laid there before he felt a soft, light touch on his hand. Samantha. It had to be her. There was no mistaking her touch.

She gently entwined their fingers and dropped a quick kiss to his forehead spreading her warmth throughout his body. Once again, he willed himself to wake up, but it was no use. The medicine was too much for him to overcome.

A shaky breath escaped her lips as she lowered herself into the chair by his bed. "I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I've heard that it's helpful to talk to people when they're unconcious." She started, taking a deep breath to collect her thoughts. "You really gave us a scare, Fitzgerald. I was a nervous wreck all night last night. I don't know how, but somehow your mom was able to calm me down and help me get some sleep. I think she's still asleep in the waiting room with Rebecca actually. Your dad is on his way here with Brady and Jennifer, so in a little while the whole Fitzgerald crew will be here." She said and he could imagine the small smile settled on her face. "I love you Marty, and I'm going to be right here by your side until I know that you're okay."

That simple statement from her made him happier than anything else could have.

Love was something they'd just recently found in one another, so to hear those three words leave her lips was music to his ears. She loved him. That's all the incentive he needed. If only he could make his body obey his mind. That was proving to be a more difficult task than he thought as his eyes still refused to open.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29:

Stepping into the hospital late the next morning, Brady was overwhelmed with emotions. He and Martin weren't exactly on the best of terms at the moment. The resentment he felt over Martin and Samantha's relationship was undoubtedly the reason for all the angst between them, but he couldn't seem to let it go. Although he'd found another wonderful woman, he was still hurting from the breakup with Sam. Granted they weren't happy all the time, but he thought they'd really had something special. Life always has a funny way of proving you wrong though he supposed.

His father led the two of them through the crowded waiting room and down a long hallway to Martin's room. The door was closed, probably to block out some of the noise just outside.

"I ... I'm going to look for your mother." Victor spoke, his voice fully of concern. He was never one to show much emotion, but Brady could clearly see the pain in his father's eyes. He turned without another word, leaving the two of them in the hallway.

"I'll be in the waiting room." Jennifer said, giving Brady's hand a gentle squeeze. "Call me if you need me." She pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before walking away.

He stood outside his brother's hospital room, debating whether or not to go in. Would Martin even want to see him? He wasn't sure but, he knew if things were the other way around he'd want his brother there with him. Making up his mind, he quietly pushed the door open, peeking his head through the opening.

The sight before him made his heart wrench with guilt.

Samantha was in the chair beside him, hunched halfway over his bed sleeping peacefully. Martin sat upright in bed, running a gentle hand through her hair, lulling her to sleep.

Brady hadn't even begun to think how this was affecting Samantha. He honestly didn't think they'd been together long enough for her to love him, but as he watched them, he could tell how much they loved one another. After all his brother had been through, a soft smile was settled on face.

"Hey." Martin said, finally noticing his brother standing in the door. "I didn't know you were here."

"Yeah, we just got in." Brady answered, stepping further into the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than expected. I'll be here another few days unfortunately." A wistful smile crossed Martin's face, and Brady instantly knew what he was thinking. "It looks like we'll be spending another Christmas at the hospital."

"Looks that way." Brady agreed, a smile making it's way to his face as well.

A comfortable silence settled over them.

_Martin was 7 years old that Christmas. Brady was 10. Brady had never believed in the whole Santa Clause story, but Martin was certain that he existed and was dead set on proving it to his big brother._

_Christmas Eve night, Martin climbed out of bed and ran down the hallway to Brady's room. He pushed __open the door and stepped inside. "Brady. Wake up." He said, shaking him awake._

"_What do you want Marty?" He groaned, rolling onto his stomach._

"_Santa's coming." _

"_So? Go back to bed."_

_Martin sighed loudly, throwing the covers off of his brother. "So... let's go see him."_

_Finally Brady sat up in bed, giving his brother an unamused look. "How many times do I have to tell you Santa's not real?" Martin remained unmoving from his side with his tiny arms crossed over his chest. "Okay fine. Let's go."_

_His younger brother's face lit up instantly and a wide smile appeared on his lips. The two boys pulled on their heavy winter coats and boots over their pajamas before stepping out onto the balcony outside Brady's room._

"_Now what?" The older boy asked through a yawn._

"_Now we're going to climb up this tree." He spoke resolutely, pointing to the tall, leafless tree nearest to them._

"_No way. There's no way to reach that from here."_

"_It's not that far. Here, help me up." Brady helped him onto the ledge and held tightly to his legs as Martin reached out for the closest limb. "Okay. I got it." He wrapped his arms around the tree limb tightly, then swung his legs up to wrap around it as well. He climbed his way to the trunk before perching himself upright on the limb. "See? I told you we could do it." Martin smiled in triumph._

"_Yeah, yeah." Brady jumped up on the ledge and prepared to grab the limb._

_Just as his hands met the cold bark, a terrible sounding pop resonated from the tree. Brady jumped off the ledge quickly, fully aware of what was about to happen. "Martin get down! You have to get down now!"_

"_Why?" He asked innocently._

_Before his brother could answer, the tree branch popped again, breaking away from the tree trunk. Fear gripped Brady as the limb and Martin fell quickly to the ground. He ran from the room, down the stairs, and out of the house, waking everyone else in the process._

_Running to the back of the house, he saw Martin sat upright in a pile of snow cradling his leg, the broken tree limb laying a safe distance behind him. "Marty are you okay?" He screamed, running to his little brother._

"_Stupid tree! Now we won't get to see him!" He screamed up at the sky._

"_Are you hurt?" Brady asked again._

"_I don't know. My leg hurts a little."_

_Their father came running around the side of the house seconds later, no doubt woken up by Brady's scramble to get outside. "What happened?" He asked, lifting his young son gently from the ground. _

"_He was up in the tree and the limb broke and he fell." Brady explained through a flood of tears. _

_Victor took a long look at Martin. "Tell your mother I'm taking him to the hospital. We'll talk about this later." He laid his son in the back seat of the car, climbed into the driver's seat, and drove away._

"I was so mad when Dad told me I'd have to spend the night in the hospital." Martin admitted, pulling himself from his memories.

"I remember. You kept saying we should've used the ladder instead." Brady laughed, old feelings rushing back to him. "I was so mad at myself. I can't believe I let you talk me into doing that. I'm the older brother. I should've stopped you." He added, his voice tinged with regret.

"No offense Brady, but there is no way I would've listened. I was bound and determined that I was going to see Santa, and nothing was going to stop me. Well, except for that rotten branch." He replied through a small laugh.

He nodded his head, noticing that Samantha was beginning to stir. Her deep brown eyes fluttered open, but she remained unmoving for a few moments. Martin's hand slipped from her hair, running it up and down her back. "Good morning, sleepyhead." His voice broke her from whatever trance she was in and she nearly jumped out of skin. She sat up in the chair, meeting his eyes for the first time since he'd been brought into the hospital. A giant smile crept over her features, and Brady could see the love and happiness relflected in her eyes.

No words were needed in that moment he realized, as everything they wanted to see was clearly written all over their faces.

Martin slipped his hand into Samantha's and pulled her closer to him. She perched herself on the edge of his bed, her free hand moving over chest. "You're okay." She finally said, a sigh of relief following.

A wide grin crossed his face matching hers. "I'm better than okay."

She leaned over somewhat hesitantly, her lips meeting his in a slow, gentle kiss. A few soft kisses were exchanged before she pulled away to run her eyes over his face ensuring that he was okay. "I love you Marty."

"I love you too, Sam."

"But don't you ever do something like this to me again." She warned him only half serious.

"I didn't exactly plan to this time, but okay." He smirked pulling her down, covering her mouth with his own, a wave of butterflies erupting in his stomach. He smiled into her lips. After all the time they'd been together, every kiss and every touch seemed better than the last.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"Mom, please stop. I'm fine. I promise." Martin assured his mother over the phone. It had been two weeks since the accident, and although he'd been back in New York for a week and a half, Emily made sure to call at least twice every day. No matter how many times he reassured her, she couldn't seem so keep from worrying about her son. "Yes, I'm doing my physical therapy." He paused, waiting on his mother's next question. "My next appointment is tomorrow, and Sam's going to take me." His head fell into the back of the couch as a deep sigh escaped his lips.

He dropped the phone from his ear, his hand landing with a dull thud on the dark leather. Emily Fitzgerald's voice filtered through the small speaker, Martin's eyes focusing on the ceiling as he tried not to get annoyed with her never-ending questions.

Samantha came up behind him, one hand resting lightly on his shoulder while the other took the phone from his hand. "Hi, Emily." She spoke softly. "He's doing great, just a little stir-crazy from being stuck in the apartment."

A short laugh slipped from her lips as her free hand made its way through his short hair. "Dr. Evans says he may be able to go back to work next week, but he won't be able to go out in the field for probably another month."

A smile slowly crept onto his face as her fingers continued to run over his scalp. She spoke with his mother for several more minutes before ending the call and tossing the phone to the other end of the couch. "Thank you." Martin said, taking her hand in his and placing a soft kiss to the milky white skin.

"You're welcome."

He tugged lightly on her arm, pulling her around the end of the sofa. "Come here." She followed his orders, allowing him to draw her into his lap. His arms encircled her waist while hers rested lightly on his shoulders. Silence consumed his apartment as the two of them sat nestled happily in one another's embrace. His fingers slipped underneath the hem of her shirt, rubbing soft circles along her lower back. "You know I love you right?"

"Mmhm." She sighed into his neck. "I love you too, Marty." She said, lifting her head to meet his eyes.

The blue irises focused intently on her, refusing to relinquish her gaze. Everything was laid open before him as his eyes scoured her face. "What?" She asked, a deep blush covering her cheeks under his stare.

He placed a quick kiss to her lips then smiled widely at her. "Nothing. Do you have a guilty conscience?"

She rolled her eyes and slapped him playfully on the back of his head. "No, you kept staring at me."

"Well, I'm sure I could find something else to stare at, but I'd rather it be you."

"Oh yeah? Why is that?"

"For starters, you're my girlfriend, and I love you." He explained before flashing her a giant grin. "And you're really hot."

"Martin!"

"What? You asked, and I gave you an honest answer."

"Men." Samantha scoffed, just as there was a knock at the door. She climbed off of his lap, rushing to answer it. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" A wide smile crossed her face as she slung the door open to find Danny and Elena with a basketful of goodies.

"Is the patient allowed to see visitors?" Danny quipped stepping over the threshold and making his way into the living room, Elena and Sam disappearing into the kitchen. "How's it going man?"

"Better than expected." Martin answered through a grin. "It's been awhile. How you been?"

Danny dropped into the plush recliner, immediately popping open the footrest. "I've been great." The patented Taylor smirk appeared as his eyes glanced in the direction of his girlfriend's laughter.

The subtle shift in Danny's tone, pricked at Martin's ears. The wheels in his head were churning in an attempt to discover what exactly was going on with his friend at that moment. "Are you..."

"Yeah, I think I am." He responded quietly to the unfinished question. He pushed the footrest closed before joining Martin on the couch. "I love her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

He cast a quick glance towards the kitchen, making sure the girls were still preoccupied and out of earshot. "Wow. That's great man. How are you going to do it?"

"I don't know yet. What would you do?"

A pleasant sigh escaped his lips, having envisioned this scenario a few times already. "I'd take her somewhere outside the city, the beach maybe. Make a weekend out of it. Wine and dine her, pamper her. Go out to the beach. Tell her exactly how you feel about her and how much you love her. Then ask her, right there on the beach."

"That sounds great, Martin." Danny said, patting his friend's back good-naturedly. "But I could never do that."

His brow furrowed, trying to find the flaw in his plan. "What? Why not? Bad idea?"

"No, it's just [i]_your_[/i] idea, Martin. That's your proposal, not mine." He explained.

If possible, Martin's smile spread even further and his eyes turned a lighter shade of blue. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Their conversation was interrupted by the entrance of Samantha and Elena. "I've never heard you two be this quiet before. What's going on?" Sam observed, perching herself on Martin's lap. "Did you break something of mine?"

"Just because we're being quiet she assumes we're misbehaving." Danny replied for the two of them. "What have you two been up to? I've heard nothing but giggles since we got here."

"I was telling Sam about Sophie's friend Bethany and her little crush on you." Elena said, a cheeky grin on her lips. "I thought I'd never be able to pry her off of you."

Laughter filtered through the room as the Latina held up a snapshot of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed seven year old wrapped tightly around Danny's leg. "Yeah, yeah."

Elena laughed, holding a hand out towards her boyfriend. "We should get back downstairs, leave these two alone."

"It was good to see you guys, and thanks for the gift." Martin spoke, giving Danny's hand a quick shake and pressing a quick kiss to Elena's cheek.

Samantha said her goodbyes as she led the couple out of the apartment, being sure to give them both a hug before returning to her place on Martin's lap. Her lips brushed over his forehead and cheek until finally pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

"In a few months, when things are back to normal, how about we take a vacation? Get away from the noise of the city and just relax." Martin suggested, meeting her lips for another sweet kiss.

"That sounds like a great idea. I think we could both use a little rest and relaxation." She smiled. "So, where are you taking me?"

" I was thinking maybe the beach."

A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. "I love the beach."

He eased her down onto the couch, settling himself above her. She slipped her arms around his neck, pulling him flush against her and pressing her lips to his in a long, passionate kiss.

The longer he laid there in her arms, their lips not once separating from one another's, the more sure he was that Sam was the one for him. He loved her. That much was certain, and he couldn't see that fact changing anytime soon.

Speaking with Danny earlier that evening made him realize things he hadn't given much consideration before then. After years of searching, he'd found her. He'd finally found the one.

And he had no intention of letting her go.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing guys! I've got a few more chapters to go and this one will be over... :)**


	31. Chapter 31

**Thanks for reading! I'm glad some of you are sticking it out until the end. :) And thanks for the reviews. I love reading what y'all have to say.**

Chapter 31

Sitting at her desk the next week twirling her pen absentmindedly between her fingers, Samantha turned slowly in her chair casting a glance at Martin's still empty desk. Progress was being made, that much was certain, but it was a long, grueling process for the both of them. Slowly but surely he was becoming more and more frustrated with his body's limitations, despite his exceeding the doctor's and physical therapist's expectations.

For the first time in their short relationship, Samantha was beginning to see a whole different side to Martin Fitzgerald. Of course, he put on a brave face around her, trying his best to keep her from seeing just how hard he was struggling with his sudden dependence. But no matter how many other people he could fool, she wasn't one of them.

They hadn't known each other long, but she could easily see through the disguise he wore. Try as he might, there was no hiding the pain he was in from her.

A hand on her shoulder pulled her from the thoughts threatening to consume her. "You okay?" Vivian asked softly.

She forced her eyes away from Martin's temporarily vacant desk to the older woman's warm brown eyes. "Honestly?" She paused, taking a deep breath in. "Not really. Martin's having a hard time, and I just don't know what I can do to make things easier for him."

"Oh, I'm sorry sweetie. He's getting a bit antsy to get out of the apartment?"

"Yeah, I guess." She answered with a sigh. "I don't really know what's going on with him. He's recovering quicker than anyone thought he would and will be back to his old self in no time, but he's just not happy."

Viv nodded, giving her friend a small smile. "He's going through a lot right now. It can't be easy for him to have to depend on someone else when he's so used to being able to take care of himself. Just talk to him. I'm sure he'll get through all of this just fine."

"You're probably right." Sam agreed, managing a small smile.

"Don't worry so much. You'll get wrinkles." She joked over her shoulder as she returned to her desk.

:::::

After sitting in the deafening silence of his apartment all day, Martin wanted nothing more than a little sunshine and fresh air. He would've had no hesitation at all if it weren't for the persistent throbbing in his hip and knee. Slowly but surely the pain was subsiding, thanks to extensive physical therapy and few pills every now and then; however, he still wasn't where he wanted to be. Instead of working and helping locate missing people, he was going crazy sitting alone in his apartment.

The only high point to his day was seeing Samantha.

She stayed over nearly every night, and he was convinced that more of her belongings were in his apartment than her own. Half of his closet was filled with her blouses and skirts all hanging neatly amongst his suits and shirts. Her shoes were placed next to his at the end of the bed. A bottle of perfume and necklace sat on the nightstand. And perhaps his favorite thing of hers was the smell of her shampoo that seemed to constantly linger in the air in the bathroom.

Everywhere he looked, something reminded him of her.

A photo of the two of them caught his eye causing a pang of guilt to hit him like a freight train. He was admittedly having a hard time coping with his recovery, being unable to do the things he wanted when he wanted, but he was unwittingly taking his frustration out on her, the woman he loved.

She had done above and beyond what he anticipated, doing anything she could to make life simpler for him, and he couldn't even muster up a 'thank you'. The longer he sat staring at the picture, the more he realized how ridiculous he was being. There was no excuse for his attitude, no matter how bad he was feeling.

His mind began to run over possibilities of how to make everything up to her, how to make her smile again.

He jumped off the couch, ignoring the sharp pain in his thigh and ran into his bedroom to get dressed. His first idea was to take her out to dinner, but he knew sitting in a crowded restaurant would do nothing to lift his spirits, so he decided to be a bit more creative.

The alarm clock beside the bed showed that it was just after 2:00 PM. He had plenty of time to get what he needed.

:::::

After a long day at work, Samantha was eager to get home to Martin. Unfortunately their missing person turned up dead, murdered by a neighbor because of a loud dog. She would never understand how people could be so cruel to one another for no reason.

Despite Martin's less than joyful attitude lately, she wanted nothing more than to be in his presence. Simply being with him, whether he was in a good mood or not, always made her feel better, and she couldn't wait to curl up with him on the sofa and watch whatever ballgame happened to be on TV until they fell asleep in one another's arms.

Pushing the door to his apartment open, she was surprised to find an unrealistic amount of candles illuminating the hallway from the door to the living room and red and white rose petals scattered all over the hardwood floor. She dropped her things by the door with a dull thud, before making her way towards the living room, Martin still nowhere to be found.

"Marty?" She called out, craning her neck around the doorway. She stepped cautiously into the room, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she was took in the sight before her.

Martin was dressed in a pair of dark brown chinos and a cream-colored sweater unzipped slightly to reveal a light blue t-shirt underneath. A hopeful smile was set on his freshly-shaven face, his hair slightly tousled giving him a just-rolled-out-of-bed look. He gestured down to the plush blanket and pillows situated in the middle of the room, the coffee table pushed over to the side holding several covered dishes. "Care to join me?"

Samantha smiled in reply before lowering herself onto the floor. Martin dished out some pasta and poured a glass of wine for the two of them then joined her on the floor. Rather than beginning to eat, he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, his hand brushing over her cheek gently. He pulled away moments later, feeling a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

A smile matching his pulled at her lips. She wasn't sure how or when it happened, but he was back. Her Martin was back. There was no pain or frustration in his eyes, only pure happiness shined through his bright blue eyes. Before she knew it, the horrors of her day were forgotten, and all that mattered was the two of them.

"Before you say anything, I just want to apologize for how I've been acting lately. I haven't been treating you very well and there's no excuse for it. You've been so great to me through all of this, and I've been ungrateful and difficult. I'm so, so sorry, Sam. I love you, and I'm sorry if I hurt you. I never meant to hurt you." He explained, his hand trailing up and down her arm.

"It's okay." She said softly, her heart beating rapidly in her chest.

"No, it's not." He shook his head, breathing in deeply to quell the tears threatening to fall. "I will make this up to you Sam. I promise."

"Shh..." She whispered into his ear, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "Quit apologizing. I appreciate it, really. But there's no need." They pulled away, warm smiles on both their faces. "Now let's eat before everything gets cold."

"Good idea."


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: Well, this is the last chapter. I hope you liked it. There should be an epilogue to follow at some point! Thanks for reading and an EXTRA BIG thanks to those who reviewed...

Chapter 32

As promised, a few weeks after being given the 'all clear' from his doctor, Martin began planning a romantic beach getaway. Instead of simply staying in the Northeast though, he decided to do something a bit more out of the ordinary for the two of them. After searching the internet for hours, he finally settled on Charleston, South Carolina. When thinking of beach vacations, most people never even consider the quiet beaches there, but the more he saw about the historic town, the more he fell in love with it. It had a Civil War era feel to it with antebellum homes lining the streets and dozens of small shops and restaurants that had been passed down from generation to generation.

He booked them a room in a highly-praised inn situated in the center of Historic Charleston and scheduled their flights for the following week. He had already spoken to Jack about their vacation, so he didn't have to worry about work interfering with his plans.

A wide smile was on his face as he logged off his computer, excited about spending a week away with Samantha. She was clueless about the details of the trip, having only been told that they were going south. Surprises weren't exactly her favorite thing, but seeing the enormous smile on Martin's face each time he mentioned anything about the retreat was enough to quell any nervous fears she had.

Throughout the week, they packed up enough belongings to get them through a week away from home. Not knowing exactly where they were headed made the process slightly more difficult, but Martin gave her hints at what items and types of clothing to bring. With a bathing suit, sunscreen, and a little black dress on the list, she concluded that the beach and a nice restaurant were in the cards. So far, that was all she knew about the week to come.

By Friday night they were packed and ready to go. Their bags sat waiting patiently by the front door, the alarm clock was set, and outfits were already laid out for the next day. They climbed into bed exhausted, and within minutes she could hear Martin's breathing deepen as he slipped into a deep slumber.

Sleep was nowhere near Samantha though. Lying in bed that night, her mind was a flurry of activity tying in vain to figure out what Martin had in store for her. She shifted her gaze from the ceiling to the sleeping man beside her, feeling her nervousness subside as she watched the steady rise and fall of his chest. It didn't matter where they were going. As long as they were together, it would be perfect.

Her hand reached out, running over the light stubble along his jaw. The two of them had been on quite a strange journey already. Two years ago, she never would've thought that she and Brady would break up and that she would fall in love with his younger brother, but she had. And she couldn't be happier. Brady had finally begun to lighten up around them, realizing that the two of them were in it for the long haul. The Fitzgerald boys made sure to at least speak to each other once a week, but most of the time they made time to spend time together. That lifted a giant weight off of Samantha's shoulders.

For awhile she feared that she'd forever separated the brothers, but after Martin's accident it was clear to everyone that that was far from happening.

Martin begin to rouse from his dreams feeling the soft ministrations of her hand along his jaw. "Something on your mind?" He asked, his voice thick with sleep.

"Boy, that's a loaded question." She smiled and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep."

His head rolled to the side, taking in the beauty of her face bathed in the moonlight. "It's okay. If you need to talk, I'll listen."

"I know. We'll talk more when you're conscious." She replied through a laugh as he drifted back to sleep, pulling her to lie against him.

With his hand resting lightly on her back, she finally succumbed to Mr. Sandman, falling fast asleep.

:::::

Try as he might, Martin was unable to hide their destination for long. Aside from slipping Sam a few tranquilizers, there was no way he'd be able to keep it a secret until they arrived.

Upon seeing 'Charleston, SC' above their boarding gate, she offered him a soft smile, not knowing exactly what to expect. She knew Martin had put a lot of effort into planning this trip, so she was determined not to criticize anything until she'd experienced it.

Exiting the airport in South Carolina a few hours later, she was filled with anticipation of what was to come. The air had that fresh, clean scent characteristic of the beach. A wide smile covered her lips as Martin ushered her into a rental car and began the short drive to their hotel.

"I know it's not exactly what you were thinking, but I think you're going to like it." He spoke somewhat nervously as he maneuvered the car in and out of traffic.

With her smile still settled on her face, she placed her hand gently on his thigh. "I already do."

They arrived at the inn in Historic Charleston sooner than she expected. It was a beautiful place from the Civil War era with elaborate brickwork and ivy covered walls. "Let's go." He prodded, tossing the keys to a smiling valet, and led her inside. The inside was more gorgeous than she could've imagined. Exquisite crown molding ran along the ceiling while the walls were decorated with antique furniture and black and white photos.

"You must be the Fitzgerald's." The concierge greeted them in a cheerful southern accent. Her long brown hair flowed over the shoulders of her neatly pressed uniform.

Martin nodded with a smile. The Fitzgerald's. It had a nice ring to it. "That's us."

"You're suite is on the third floor, sir. Here is your key, and Jeremy here will help you with your bags." She gestured to the teenage boy nearby who was already stacking their things onto a luggage cart.

The boy led them to their room, all the while talking about all the things Charleston had to offer. "Have a great time." He commented, swinging the door open wide to reveal a spacious room painted in a golden hue, filled with a dark mahogany bed, armoire, and chest of drawers. The king size bed was made up perfectly with a plush white comforter and more pillows than Samantha could count. Perhaps the best part was the private bathroom complete with a glass walk in shower and spacious whirlpool tub.

"Thanks, Jeremy." Martin said, handing the boy a twenty dollar bill. "I may have to get more details on that beach you were telling me about."

"Anytime Mr. Fitzgerald." Jeremy answered, pushing the now empty luggage cart into the hallway and shutting the door behind him.

Martin's arms wrapped around her from behind, his coming to rest gently on her shoulder as she stood at the window, taking in the picturesque view of the buildings surrounding the inn. "So... what do you think?"

"I love it. How did you even find out about this place?" She asked, leaning into his embrace.

"I googled." He smiled as he felt a soft laugh reverberate through her chest. "I just wanted to do something different."

She turned around in his arms, placing a sweet kiss to his lips. "Well, you did a good job. This place is beautiful."

His eyes never left hers as he spoke. "Yeah it is."

:::::

Late the next morning, after some much needed sleep the two of them drug themselves out of bed and downstairs for breakfast before heading out for the day. Jeremy had told Martin about nearby Folly Beach that was arguably one of the best beaches in South Carolina, so they decided to take his advice and spend some time in the sand.

They fixed a small bag of food for lunch, got dressed in their bathing suits, and headed out to the rather quiet beach not far from the inn.

They laid out a blanket on the warm sand, content to sit and watch the waves roll in for awhile.

The longer he sat there, Samantha wrapped up in his arms, the more he began to think back on his conversation with Danny not too long ago. There was no doubt in his mind that she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He'd had a ring burning a hole in his pocket for weeks now, but he never felt like it was the right time.

Sitting there behind her his hands enveloping her small waist and chest pressed up against her, he knew that that moment was perfect in its simplicity. They hadn't spoken the entire time, just sat quietly in the others presence observing the soothing motions the ocean had to offer.

"Sam?" He spoke softly into her ear, breaking the silence between them.

"Hmm?" She didn't bother to turn around, her focus was locked on the clear blue water.

He pulled the three-stone diamond ring from his pocket, holding it tightly in his fist. He pressed a gentle kiss to her neck and shoulder before taking her left hand in his. "Will you marry me?"

Her head turned ever so slowly to meet his gaze. "What?"

"Sam, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to get old and wrinkly with you." He smiled, his stomach flopping nervously. "I want you to marry me."

This time when the words left his mouth, a wide smile took over every feature of her face before she took him into a slow, tender kiss. She pulled away minutes later, the smile never leaving. "I want to marry you, too."

"So, that's a yes?"

"It's a yes." She answered resolutely, placing a chaste kiss to his lips.

He lifted her hand, slipping the ring onto her finger, and pressed his lips gently to each knuckle before pulling her to him for a searing kiss that neither of them ever wanted to break. When they reluctantly pulled away minutes later he gave her a full-dimple smile which she happily returned. "I love you."

"I love you, too.


	33. Epilogue

Oh, Brother

Epilogue

_Seven years later_

"Samantha!" Martin called from his place in the doorway, car keys in hand. "If you don't want to be late, we need to leave now."

It was time for the annual FBI picnic, and as usual the Fitzgerald's were running late.

Martin had always prided himself on being punctual, but the moment he married Samantha Spade, that changed. He'd lost count of the number of times she had made them late to work over the years, but that was one small fault of hers that he'd quickly learned to overlook.

Samantha and Martin were married in Charleston, their favorite vacation spot, almost exactly one year after his proposal, and much to his surprise, she wanted to start trying for children right away. Eleven months into the marriage, the two were taken aback when their first pregnancy ended prematurely at 30 weeks with a traumatizing miscarriage that left the both of them heartbroken and devastated.

Their first child, Matthew Warren, was buried in a shallow grave on a rainy day just a few weeks prior to his planned entrance into the world. Depression instantly set in, clouding the two in a miserable haze. Martin managed to come to terms with his young son's death after several weeks of mourning and began to move on. Samantha, on the other hand, seemed to be permanently plagued by the failure of her first attempt at motherhood. The slowly fading scar across her abdomen did nothing but remind her of the child that was taken from her so suddenly and only served to push her further into her depression.

Martin stayed by her side the entire time, comforting her through the tragic loss of their son. Night after night was spent with him holding her tightly as sobs racked her small frame, tears threatening to fall from his eyes as well.

Slowly but surely, with Martin's help, she overcame the darkness threatening to overtake her. Nearly six months after losing her son, she began to piece herself back together again. She would never forget their first baby, the little life that they'd created, but she couldn't let his death rule her life anymore. Nothing she did would change what happened.

She'd never really thought much of God or Heaven, but after the death of their precious baby boy, she found herself hoping that they existed, that her little boy was with the angels.

A year after burying Matthew, Samantha was surprised to find out that she was pregnant again. This time, though, there was one major difference. They were having twins.

Seven months after the discovery, Samantha and Martin welcomed two beautiful, healthy babies into the world. Elizabeth Grace and Zachary Luke Fitzgerald were born at nine o'clock in the morning after nearly five hours of labor. From minute one, she could see that the twins looked nothing like one another. Lizzy Grace, as Martin called her, had a head full of brown hair with her daddy's blue eyes while Zach had only a few tuffs of blonde hair and chestnut brown eyes like his mother. Both of the children had Martin's dimpled grin and infectious laugh that Samantha knew she'd never tire of.

Their precious little babies were growing up faster than she ever would've thought possible, and before she knew it they were rambunctious three year olds that never seemed to quit. The two of them were constantly into something. Just last week Martin came home to find the bathtub filled to the brim with soapy water that they'd used to give their goldfish Bubbles a bath. Poor Bubbles never had a chance.

When they weren't somewhere stirring up mischief, they were following Mommy and Daddy around asking four million questions and giving their detailed account of the day's events. Zach especially liked to tell elaborate stories of his work at the "FEI oppice", translation FBI office. Apparently, his office was full of toys and [i]_Go, Diego, Go_[/i] cartoons played 24/7. If only the real FBI was as much fun as he envisioned it was.

"I'm almost finished. Hold your horses." Samantha shouted back to her husband, curling one last strand of hair before unplugging the curling iron and walking out of the bathroom into the living room where her family was standing patiently waiting for her. "Do you have everything in their bag? Cups? Pull-ups? Extra clo-?" She quizzed him, before he cut her off.

"Yes, dear. We're packed up and ready to go. Aren't we monkey?" He asked his son, turning the small baseball cap atop his head around backwards, allowing a few blonde strands of hair to escape through the hole now situated across his forehead.

"Yep. We weady to go Mommy." Zach answered with a nod and toothy grin at his father. He was dressed just like Martin in a pair of khaki shorts and white polo. He was in the 'I wanna be just like Daddy' phase and refused to do anything without Daddy doing it first or wear anything that Daddy wasn't wearing. It was absolutely adorable.

"Let's hit the road then." Sam said, taking her daughter's outstretched hand and leading the boys out of the house. The pale blue cotton dress she wore was caught by the gentle breeze blowing outside and clung tightly to her body. Martin stayed several steps behind, taking a few seconds to admire the gentle sway of her hips and the soft, blonde curls tossed around methodically by the wind. Not a day passed by without a similar moment occurring at some point. After a little over eight years together, she was just as beautiful to him as she was the first time he laid eyes on her, maybe even more so now that she was the mother of his children. "C'mon, boys. You're making us late." She quipped good-naturedly at Martin as she adjusted Lizzy's yellow sundress and buckled her into her car seat.

"Yeah, yeah." He smiled in response, securing Zach into the other car seat, tickling his small tummy before climbing into the driver's seat. He stuck the key in the ignition, started the car, and maneuvered the SUV down the driveway of their two story Victorian home and onto the road leading out of the small suburb they lived in. Not long after finding out that one baby was actually two, they decided it would be best to move out of the city. With a little help from Brady and a realtor friend of his, they found the house of their dreams in a suburb just outside Manhattan for sale. They made an offer on it and were elated when the realtor called them a few weeks later to start the necessary paperwork.

Sam and Martin both continued working at the FBI after the birth of the twins but with Samantha working three days a week in the White Collar Crime division. Before marriage and pregnancy, she never would've considered working anywhere other than Missing Persons but she loved the freedom that White Collar had to offer. It gave her much more time to spend with Zach and Lizzy Grace.

The sweet voices of her children echoed through the vehicle, completely drowning out the music playing quietly in the background as the two of them discussed everything they hoped to see at the "FEI pick-a-nick". The three year old conversation brought wide smiles to both parents' faces.

"Mommy, is baby Evan coming to the pick-a-nick?" Lizzy asked. Baby Evan wasn't exactly a baby anymore at two years old, but Lizzy and Zach couldn't seem to give up the nickname they'd created for Danny and Elena's toddler.

"Yes, he is. I'm sure there'll be lots of other kids from daycare there, too." Her mother answered, casting a quick glance over her shoulder.

"Will Layton be there? She's my best friend." Her daughter asked.

"I think so." Sam answered, knowing where this conversation was going.

"What about Tyler? He's not very nice." She continued. "And Jackson? He's a bad boy too."

"I don't know who all will be there, sweetheart, but you don't have to play with anyone that you don't want to." Her mother's answer seemed to satisfy her, so she turned her attention back to her brother. "Who are these children, and what happened to our quiet little babies?" She asked jokingly, flashing Martin a wide grin.

"Don't look at me. They get that from you." He smirked, dodging her playful slap.

They arrived at the park a short time later, parked the car, and made their way to the area where the festivities were being held. The minute they spotted the playground, Zach and Lizzy took off running towards the group of children already playing on the swings, slide, and other brightly colored playground equipment. "Be careful!" Samantha shouted after them, hearing a faint 'we will' shouted back in return.

They caught sight of Danny situated on blankets nearby and made their way over to him. "Well, it's about time you guys showed up." Danny said with a smile as he spotted them walking over. "Where are the little munchkins?"

"You mean you didn't see that blur flying past you on the way to the playground?" Martin laughed, gesturing towards Zach and Lizzy swinging side by side, enormous grins spread from cheek to cheek. "Where's Evan?" He asked of Danny's son, spreading out a large blanket to sit on.

"With his mama." His friend answered, his eyes shifting to where his wife stood speaking to a few female agents close by, the sleeping toddler held tightly against her chest.

"I'm going to say hey to the girls." Sam said, pressing a quick kiss to Martin's cheek before joining Elena.

He took out another blanket they'd packed and laid it out before taking a seat in the middle. His eyes drifted first to his wife who was laughing animatedly at something Elena said then over to the playground where Zach and Lizzy Grace were taking turns climbing up and down a small rope ladder, dimpled grins on both their faces. A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth that reached all the way to his eyes. He'd always wanted to have a family, a wife and children that he could love and support, and now he had it. He had a gorgeous wife that he loved more than anyone in the world, a beautiful, precious daughter and a vibrant, fun-loving son.

His blue eyes focused on his friend whose signature smirk was settled firmly in place. "You look happy, man."

"I am." He answered, absentmindedly twirling his wedding band around his finger. "What's not to be happy about? Beautiful wife, beautiful kids."

"I hear you on that one." Danny agreed.

"Yeah, man. I didn't think you'd ever settle down, but I guess I underestimated Elena." Martin joked. "You look really happy, too."

Their conversation was cut short by Zach and Lizzy Grace who came barreling into Martin, their rosy cheeks wearing matching smiles as their happy giggles filled the air. "Daddy!" Zach squealed triumphantly, sitting on Martin's chest with a leg slung over each side of him.

"Are you guys trying to kill me?" He asked, reaching overhead to tickle his daughter's stomach before assaulting his son's sides. He scrambled to his knees, trapping both of them under one of his arms in the process. He struggled to his feet, their tiny voices screaming out playfully to their mother as Martin started running towards her, the two children still wrapped up in his arms. "Even Mommy can't save you now!" He smiled, veering off to one side just as he approached Samantha. He saw a smile forming on her features as he glanced at her over his shoulder. It didn't take her but a second to join in on the fun. She saw Martin headed back to the shaded area where their blankets were laid out and watched as he fell down into the plush grass admitting his defeat, taking the two smiling children down with him. His eyes were closed and a smile rested on his lips as Zach and Lizzy poked and prodded his stomach and sides with their fingers. She crept up to them, holding a lone finger up to her lips, trying to keep them from alerting Daddy to her presence. They smiled and nodded at her, another fit of giggles erupting from them as she plopped down squarely on his stomach. His eyes snapped open at her unexpected weight and a deep groan escaped his throat. "Well, well. To what do I owe this pleasure, ma'am?" He smirked, focusing his bright blue eyes on the brown ones peering down at him.

"I couldn't help but notice how you were behaving with these dear children." She stated with a playful glint in her eye.

"And?"

"And I think you two should get a room!" Danny shrieked rushing over to cover the children's eyes. "There are other people out here you know." He added before leading the twins away to play with Evan in the sandbox.

The couple remained where they were, eyes locked on one another, oblivious to the other people around them. Sam pressed a slow, soft kiss to his lips before moving to lay beside him. Martin's hand drifted gently over the material of her dress and into her hair. "I love you." He said with a smile, pressing his lips to hers.

"And I love you." She replied with a smile and kiss of her own.

As they laid there together, Samantha realized that her life was truly perfect. She was married to a wonderful man who loved and cared for her as well as their two little angels. At only three years old, Zach and Lizzy were quite a handful, but she wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. She held more love in her heart for those two little people than she could even begin to measure.

Her quiet thoughts were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. "Martin, Samantha." Victor Fitzgerald greeted them. He was dressed more casually than Martin could ever remember seeing him in a pair of navy blue slacks and yellow polo shirt. Emily stood at his side, their hands clasped loosely between them. He was surprised to see Rebecca and her husband Kevin with their eight month old son Brendan sleeping peacefully in his carrier as well as Brady, Jennifer, and their five year old daughter Alexis standing on either side of Victor and Emily.

Martin and Sam stood to exchange hugs and handshakes, but not before sharing embarrassed grins with one another. "I didn't know the whole crew was going to be here." Martin smiled, pulling away from his mother's tight hug, his arm instantly coming to rest around Samantha's waist.

"Well, we hadn't planned on it, but we were all going to be in New York this week for Bonnie's birthday party and figured we might as well swing by." She explained, smiling at the light flush covering her son's face.

"It's a good thing we showed up when we did." Brady commented trying to hide a grin. "It looked like you two were about to give everyone in the park a free show." He smirked, wincing slightly at a swift slap from his wife.

Martin's cheeks turned another shade of red while Sam's own rosy cheeks were covered quickly by her hands.

"Oh hush, Brady." Rebecca scolded him with a smile. "I thought it was sweet." She said to her youngest brother.

The rest of the afternoon passed by quickly, with the whole Fitzgerald family having more fun together than they had in a long time. Brady and Martin tried to get their families together as often as possible, but spending time with Rebecca and his parents was a much more difficult task. He was thankful though that their family had grown so much closer over the last few years.

Up until that fateful day when Samantha entered the Fitzgerald home in DC, they rarely made time to see one another. He couldn't even remember a day they spent together that wasn't a holiday before then. Since Martin, Brady, and Rebecca had gotten married and started families, however, they made arrangements to see each other as often as they could. For the first time in a long time, his family actually felt like a family.

He couldn't give Samantha all the credit for bringing them closer, but it definitely wasn't a coincidence. The changes all revolved around her arrival, and the drama that followed only served to rebuild their tattered relationships and make stronger bonds between them than they'd ever had.

As they sat around together later that night, the park nearly devoid of occupants, Martin cleared his throat loudly, getting the attention of the people surrounding him. His hand rested lightly over his son's back as he slept peacefully while his daughter was nestled calmly in her mother's embrace. "I guess now is as good a time as any." He said softly in her direction. She offered him a tired but happy smile and nodded for him to continue. "We weren't going to tell you guys until we saw you at Bonnie's Saturday, but since you're all here, might as well do it now."

"What's up Marty?" Brady questioned, shifting his own sleeping daughter around on his lap. The long day had lulled all the children to sleep a short time earlier.

"Samantha's pregnant." He answered through a wide smile that mirrored the one currently settled on his wife's lips. "We're having another baby." He draped his arm loosely over her shoulders and pressed a loving kiss to her temple.

"Wow!" Rebecca beamed. "Congrats guys!"

The rest of his family said their congratulations before a comfortable silence consumed all of them. The soft snoring of the four children filled the air, eliciting smiles on their parents' and grandparents' faces.

"Hey Marty," His brother started, "maybe you'll have triplets this time." He smirked.

"Don't even think such a thing!" Martin ordered through a laugh. "Knowing my luck, we'd have six and be like that couple on TV."

"Lord I hope not! Two at one time was way more than enough." Sam commented, taking her husband's hand in her own. "I think we could handle it though."

"Me too." He smiled. "But I'd rather not try it."

"Ditto."

As the conversation drifted to something Alexis had done earlier, Martin's focus locked on Samantha. It was hard to believe how things had unfolded all those years ago to bring them together. He knew the moment he saw her that there was something different about her, something that set her apart from all the other women he'd dated.

It didn't take him long to figure it out though. She was his soul mate, the one person in the world he was destined to be with. He loved her more than life itself and couldn't wait to see what the future held for them. He brushed his lips softly over hers, offering her a loving smile.

Whatever it was the future had in store, he knew they'd get through it. Together.

THE END

**I didn't mean for this epilogue to be so lengthy, but it kind of got away from me. There wasn't anything I wanted to take out though, so I left it as it was. :)**

**Thanks for all the reviews y'all! I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! :)**


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